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ODIN. 



PREFACE. 



THE aim of this handbook of Northern mythology is to 
familiarize the English student of letters with the religion 
of his heathen ancestors, and to set forth, as clearly as possible, 
the various myths which have exercised an influence over our 
customs, arts, and literature. 

As Danes, Swedes, Icelanders, Germans, English, and French 
all came originally from the same stock and worshiped the same 
gods, so these tales formed the basis not only of their religious 
belief, but also of their first attempts at poetry. They are the 
classics of the North, and deserve as much attention at our 
hands as the more graceful and idyllic mythology of the South. 

The most distinctive traits of the Northern mythology are a 
peculiar grim humor which is found in the religion of no other 
race, and a dark thread of tragedy which runs throughout the 
whole woof. These two characteristics, touching both extremes 
of the scale, have colored Northern thought, and have left their 
indelible imprint upon all our writings even to this day. 

The mythology of Greece and Rome, growing as spontaneous 
and luxuriant as the tropical vegetation, came to its full fruition 
and began to decay before the introduction of Christianity. But 
Northern mythology, of slower growth, was arrested in mid- 
career before it had attained its complete development. 

5 



6 PREFACE. 

A glossary, and complete index have been added to adapt 
this book for general use in libraries and public schools. Author 
and publishers sincerely trust that this little work will be as kindly 
received and as well appreciated as has been the case with its 
predecessor, " Myths of Greece and Rome," the first volume of 
this series. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAP. PAGE 

I. The Beginning of All Things 9 

II. Odin 23 

III. Frigga 46 

IV. Thor 61 

V. Tyr 84 

VI. Bragi f 93 

VII. Idun 100 

VIII. NlORD IO7 

IX. Frey 112 

X. Freya 1 24 

XL Uller 131 

XII. FORSETI 134 

XIII. Heimdall 137 

XIV. Hermod 144 

XV. Vidar 147 

XVI. Vali 150 

XVII. The Norns 154 

XVIII. The Valkyrs 160 

XIX. Hel 166 

XX. ^Egir 171 

XXI. Balder 182 

XXII. Loki 198 

XXIII. The Giants 210 

XXIV. The Dwarfs 217 

XXV. The Elves 221 

XXVI. The Sigurd Saga 225 

XXVII. The Twilight of the Gods 263 

XXVIII. Greek and Northern Mythologies — A Comparison. . 274 

INDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS. . 293 

INDEX AND GLOSSARY 295 

7 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Odin Frontispiece 

North Cape and the Midnight Sun To face page 9 



Valhalla — Hoffmann 

The Pied Piper of Hamelin — H. Kaulbach 

Frigga 

Eastre, or Ostara 

Thor 

Frey 

Freya 

The Witches Dance (Valpurgisnacht) — Von Kreling. 

Valkyrs riding to Battle — P. N. Arbo 

Lorelei and the Fisherman — Paul Thumann 

Balder 

Loki and Sigyn — Carl Gebhardt 

Norwegian Waterfall 

torghatten, norway 

Dance of the Will-o'-the- Wisps — W. Kray 

Old Houses with Carved Doorposts, Norway 

The Branstock — Hoffmann 

Sigurd and the Dragon — K. Dielitz 

Brunhild's Awakening — Th. Pixis 

GUDRUN GIVING THE MAGIC DRINK TO SlGURD — Th. 

Pixis 

Brunhild — Th. Pixis 

Hogni Throwing the Treasure into the Rhine — 

Julius Schnorr 



25 
32 
48 

57 
69 
112 
124 
129 
160 
180 
188 
200 
208 

213 
221 
224 

229 

245 
248 

252 
256 

260 



MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 

ALTHOUGH the Aryan inhabitants of northern Europe are 
JTjl. supposed by some authorities to have come originally 
from the plateau of Iran, in the heart of Asia, the climate and 
scenery of the countries where they finally settled had great 
influence in shaping their early religious beliefs, as well as in 
ordering their mode of living. 

The grand and rugged landscapes of Norway and Sweden, 
the midnight sun, the flashing rays of the aurora borealis, the 
ocean continually lashing itself into fury against the great cliffs 
and icebergs of the Arctic circle, could not but impress the peo- 
ple as vividly as the almost miraculous vegetation, the perpetual 
light, and the blue seas and skies of their brief summer season. 
It is no great wonder, therefore, that the Icelanders, to whom 
we owe the most perfect records of this belief, fancied in looking 
about them that the world was originally created from a strange 
mixture of fire and ice. 

Northern mythology is grand and tragical. Its principal theme 
is the perpetual struggle of the beneficent forces of Nature against 
the injurious, and hence it is not graceful and idyllic in character 
like the religion of the sunny South, where the people could bask 

9 



io MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

in perpetual sunshine, and the fruits of the earth grew ready to 
their hand. 

It was very natural that the dangers incurred in hunting and 
fishing under these inclement skies, and the suffering entailed by 
the long cold winters when the sun never shines, made our ances- 
tors contemplate cold and ice as malevolent spirits ; and it was 
with equal reason that they invoked with special fervor the benefi- 
cent influences of heat and light. 

When questioned concerning the creation of the world, the 
Northern scalds or poets, whose songs are preserved in the Eddas 

Myths of an ^ Sagas, declared that in the beginning, when 

creation. there was as yet no earth, nor sea, nor air, when 
darkness rested over all, there existed a powerful being called 
Allfather, whom they dimly conceived as uncreated as well as 
unseen, and that whatever he willed came to pass. 

In the center of space there was, in the morning of time, a 
great abyss called Ginnunga-gap, the cleft of clefts, the yawning 
gulf, whose depths no eye could fathom, as it was enveloped in 
perpetual twilight. North of this abode was a space or world 
known as Nifl-heim, the home of mist and darkness, in the cen- 
ter of which bubbled the exhaustless spring Hvergelmir, the 
seething caldron, whose waters supplied twelve great streams 
known as the Elivagar. As the water of these streams flowed 
swiftly away from its source and encountered the cold blasts from 
the yawning gulf, it soon hardened into huge blocks of ice, which 
rolled downwards into the immeasurable depths of the great abyss 
with a continual roar like thunder. 

South of this dark chasm, and directly opposite Nifl-heim, the 
realm of mist, was another world called Muspells-heim, the home 
of elemental fire, where all was warmth and brightness, and 
whose frontiers were continually guarded by Surtr, the flame 
giant. This giant fiercely brandished his flashing sword, and 
continually sent forth great showers of sparks, which fell with a 
hissing sound upon the ice blocks in the bottom of the abyss, and 
partly melted them by their heat. 



THE BEGINNING OE All THINGS. II 

" Great Surtur, with his burning sword, 
Southward at Muspel's gate kept ward, 
And flashes of celestial flame, 
Life-giving, from the Fire-world came." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

As the steam rose in clouds it again encountered the prevail- 
ing cold, and was changed into rime or hoar frost, which, layer 
by layer, filled up the great central space. Thus Ymir and 
by the continual action of cold and heat, and also Audhumia. 
probably by the will of the uncreated and unseen, a gigantic 
creature called Ymir or Orgelmir (seething clay), the personifi- 
cation of the frozen ocean, came to life amid the ice blocks in 
the abyss, and as he was born of rime he was called a Hrim-thurs 

dt ice giant. 

" In early times, 
When Ymir lived, 
Was sand, nor sea, 
Nor cooling wave ; 
No earth was found, 
Nor heaven above ; 
One chaos all, 
And nowhere grass. 7 ' 

S^mund's Edda (Henderson's tr.). 

Groping about in the gloom in search of something to eat, 
V'mir perceived a gigantic cow called Audhumia (the nourisher), 
which had been created by the same agency as himself, and out 
of the same materials. Hastening towards her, Ymir noticed with 
pleasure that four great streams of milk flowed from her udder to 
supply him with nourishment. 

All his wants were thus satisfied ; but the cow, looking about 
her for food, began to lick the salt off a neighboring ice block 
with her rough tongue. There she stood patiently licking that 
selfsame lump until the hair of a god appeared. After she had 
licked some time longer the whole head emerged from its icy 
envelope, and by and by Buri (the producer) stepped forth entirely 
free. 



12 MYTHS OF NORTHERX LAXDS. 

While the cow had been thus engaged, Ymir, the giant, had 
fallen asleep, and as he slept a son and daughter were born from 
the perspiration under his armpit, and his feet produced the six- 
headed giant Thrudgelmir, who, shortly after his birth, brought 
forth in his turn the giant Bergelmir, from whom all the evil frost 
giants are descended. 

" Under the armpit grew, 
'Tis said of Hrim-thurs, 
A girl and boy together; 
Foot with foot begat, 
Of that wise Jotun, 
A six-headed son." 

S^muxd's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

When these giants became aware of the existence of the god 
Buri, and of his son Borr (born), whom he had immediately pro- 
duced, they began waging war against them, for as the gods and 
giants represented the opposite forces of good and evil, there was 
no hope of their ever coming to an agreement and living together 
in peace. This struggle continued evidently for ages, neither 
party gaining a decided advantage, until Borr married the giantess 
Bestla, daughter of Bolthorn (the thorn of evil), who bore him 
three powerful sons, Odin (spirit), Vili (will), and Ve (holy). 

Odin vui These three sons immediately joined their father 
and ve. j n j^g struggle against the inimical frost giants, and 

finally succeeded in slaying their deadliest foe, the great Ymir. 
As he sank down lifeless the blood gushed from his wounds in 
such floods that it produced a great deluge, in which all his race 
perished, with the exception of Bergelmir, who escaped in a boat 
and went with his wife to the confines of the world. 

" And all the race of Ymer thou didst drown, 
Save one, Bergelmer, — he on shipboard fled 
Thy deluge, and from him the giants sprang." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Here he took up his abode, calling the place Jotun-heim (the home 
of the giants), and here he begat a new race of frost giants, who 



THE BEGINNING OE ALL THINGS. 13 

inherited his dislikes, continued the feud, and were always ready 
to sally forth from their desolate country and make a raid into 
the territory of the gods. 

The gods, who in Northern mythology are called yEsir (pillars 
and supporters of the world), having thus triumphed over all their 
foes, and being no longer engaged in perpetual warfare, now 
began to look about them, wondering how they could improve the 
desolate aspect of things and fashion a habitable world. After 
due consideration Borr's sons rolled Ymir's great corpse into the 
yawning abyss, and began to make the world out of its various 
component parts. 

Out of the giant's flesh they fashioned Midgard (middle 
garden), as the earth was called, which was placed in the exact 
center of the vast space, and hedged all round creation of 
with Ymir's eyebrows which formed its bulwarks the earth - 
or ramparts. The solid portion of Midgard was surrounded by 
the giant's blood or sweat, which now formed the ocean, while 
his bones made the hills, his flat teeth the cliffs, and his curly hair 
the trees and all vegetation. 

Well pleased with the result of these their first efforts at crea- 
tion, the gods took the giant's unwieldy skull and poised it skillfully 
above earth and sea as the vaulted heavens ; then scattering his 
brains throughout the expanse they fashioned from them the fleecy 
clouds. 

" Of Ymir's flesh 

Was earth created, 

Of his blood the sea, 

Of his bones the hills, 

Of his hair trees and plants, 

Of his skull the heavens, 

And of his brows 

The gentle powers 

Formed Midgard for the sons of men ; 

But of his brain 

The heavy clouds are 

All created." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 



14 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

To support the heavenly vault in place, the gods stationed the 
strong dwarfs, Nordri, Sudri, Austri, Westri, at its four corners, 
bidding them uphold it on their shoulders, and from them the 
four points of the compass received their present names of North, 
South, East, and West. To light up the world thus created, the 
gods began to stud the heavenly vault with sparks secured from 
Muspells-heim, points of light which shone steadily through the 
gloom like brilliant stars. The most vivid of all these sparks, 
however, were reserved for the manufacture of the sun and moon, 
which were placed in beautiful golden chariots. 

" And from the flaming world, where Muspel reigns, 
Thou sent'st and fetched'st fire, and madest lights : 
Sun, moon, and stars, which thou hast hung in Heaven, 
Dividing clear the paths of night and day." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

When all these preparations had been finished, and the steeds 
Arvakr (the early waker) and Alsvin (the rapid goer) were har- 
nessed to the sun chariot, the gods, fearing lest the animals 
should suffer from their proximity to this ardent sphere, placed 
under their withers great skins filled with air or with some iron 
refrigerant substance. They also fashioned the shield Svalin (the 
cooler), and placed it in front of the car to shelter them from the 
sun's direct rays, which would else have burned them and the 
earth to a crisp. The moon car was, moreover, provided with a 
fleet steed called Alsvider (the all-swift) ; but as its rays were 
very mild indeed, no shield was required to protect him. 

The chariots were all ready, the steeds harnessed and im- 
patient to begin their daily round, but there was no one to guide 

Mani and them along the right road. The gods, perceiving 
SoL this, looked about them and soon beheld Mani 

(the moon) and Sol (the sun), children of giant Mundilfari, who 
was so inordinately proud of his beautiful offspring that he called 
them by the names of the newly created orbs. He gave his 
daughter Sol in marriage to Glaur (glow), who was probably 



THE BEGINNING OF A LI THINGS. 15 

one of Surtr's sons. The brother and sister were transferred to 
the sky, where, after receiving minute directions from the gods, 
they skillfully guided their fleet steeds along their appointed paths. 

" Know that Mundilfasr is hight 
Father to the moon and sun; 
Age on age shall roll away, 
While they mark the months and days." 

Havamal (W. Taylor's tr.). 

Seeing how satisfactory all these arrangements were, the gods 
now summoned Nott (night), a daughter of. one of the giants, 
Norvi, and intrusted to her care a dark chariot, drawn by a sable 
steed, Hrim-faxi (frost mane), from whose waving mane the dew 
and hoar frost dropped down upon the earth. 

" Hrim-faxi is the sable steed, 
From the east who brings the night, 
Fraught with the showering joys of love : 
As he champs the foamy bit, 
Drops of dew are scattered round 
To adorn the vales of earth." 

Vafthrudni's-mal (W. Taylor's tr.). 

The goddess of night had already thrice been married : by her 
first husband, Naglfari, she had had a son named Aud ; by her 
second, Annar, a daughter Jord (earth) ; and by her third, the 
god Dellinger (dawn), she now had a son, radiant with beauty, 
who was called Dag (day). 

As soon as the gods became aware of this beautiful being's 
existence they provided a chariot for him also, drawn by the 
resplendent white steed Skin-faxi (shining mane), from whose 
mane bright beams of light shone forth in every direction, 
illuminating all the world, and bringing light and gladness to 
all. 

" Forth from the east, up the ascent of Heaven, 
Day drove his courser with the shining mane." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 



1 6 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

But as evil always treads close upon the footsteps of good, 
hoping to destroy it, the ancient inhabitants of the Northern re- 

The wolves gions imagined that both Sun and Moon were in- 
Skoii and Hati. cessant i Y pursued by the fierce wolves Skoll (re- 
pulsion) and Hati (hatred), whose sole aim was to overtake and 
swallow the brilliant objects before them, so that the world might 
again be enveloped in its primeval darkness. 

" Skoll the wolf is named 
That the fair-faced goddess 
To the ocean chases ; 
Another Hati night, 
He is Hrodvitnir's son ; 
He the bright maid of heaven shall precede." 

S.*mund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

At times, they said, the wolves overtook and tried to swallow 
their prey, thus producing an eclipse of the radiant orbs. Then 
the terrified people raised such a deafening clamor that the wolves, 
frightened by the noise, hastily dropped them. Thus rescued, Sun 
and Moon resumed their course, fleeing more rapidly than before, 
the hungry monsters rushing along in their wake, anxious for the 
time when their efforts would prevail and the end of the world 
would come. For the Northern nations all believed that as their 
gods had sprung from an alliance between the divine element 
(Borr) and the mortal (Bestla), they were finite, and doomed to 
perish with the world they had made. 

" But even in this early morn 
Faintly foreshadowed was the dawn 
Of that fierce struggle, deadly shock, 
Which yet should end in Ragnarok ; 
When Good and Evil, Death and Life, 
Beginning now, end then their strife." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

Mani was also accompanied by Hiuki, the waxing, and Bil, 
the waning moon, two children whom he had snatched from earth 
where a cruel father forced them to carry water all night. Our 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 17 

ancestors fancied they saw these children, the original " Jack and 
Jill," with their pail, darkly outlined upon the moon. 

The gods not only appointed Sun, Moon, Day, and Night to 
count out the year, but also called Evening, Midnight, Morning, 
Forenoon, Noon, and Afternoon to share their duties, making 
Summer and Winter the rulers of the seasons. Summer, a 
direct descendant of Svasud (the mild and lovely), inherited his 
gentle disposition, and was loved by all except Winter, his deadly 
enemy, the son of Vindsual, himself a son of the disagreeable god 
Vasud, the personification of the icy wind. 

" Vindsual is the name of him 
Who begat the winter's god ; 
Summer from Suasuthur sprang: 
Both shall walk the way of years, 
Till the twilight of the gods." 

Vafthrudni's-mal (W. Taylor's tr.). 

As the cold winds continually swept down from the north, 
chilling all the earth, these nations further imagined that at the 
extreme northern verge of the heavens sat the great giant Hrae- 
svelgr (the corpse swallower), all clad in eagle plumes, and that 
whenever he raised his arms or wings the cold blasts darted forth 
and swept ruthlessly over the face of the earth, blighting all things 
with their icy breath. 

" Hrae-svelger is the name of him 
Who sits beyond the end of heaven, 
And winnows wide his eagle-wings, 
Whence the sweeping blasts have birth." 

Vafthrudni's-mal (W. Taylor's tr.). 

While the gods were occupied in creating the earth and pro- 
viding for its illumination, a whole host of maggot-like creatures 
had been breeding in Ymir's flesh. Crawling in Dwar fs and 
and out, they now attracted divine attention. Elves. 

Summoning these uncouth beings into their presence, the gods, 
after giving them forms and endowing them with superhuman 
intelligence, divided them into two large classes. Those which 
2 



15 MYTHS OR NORTHERN LANDS. 

were dark, treacherous, and cunning by nature were banished to 
Svart-alfa-heim, the home of the black dwarfs, situated under- 
ground, whence they were never allowed to come forth as long as 
it was day, under penalty of being turned into stone. They were 
called Dwarfs, Trolls, Gnomes, or Kobolds, and spent all their 
time and energy in exploring the secret recesses of the earth. 
They collected gold, silver, and precious stones, which they 
stowed away in secret crevices, whence they could withdraw 
them at will. As for the remainder of these small creatures, 
including all that were fair, good, and useful, the gods called them 
Fairies and Elves, and gave them a dwelling place in the airy 
realm of Alf-heim (home of the light-elves), situated between 
heaven and earth, whence they could flit downwards whenever 
they pleased, to attend to the plants and flowers, sport with the 
birds and butterflies, or dance in the silvery moonlight on the 
green. Odin, who had been the leading spirit in all these under- 
takings, now bade the gods, his descendants, follow him to the 
broad plain called Idawold, far above the earth, on the other side 
of the great stream Ifing, whose waters never froze. 

" Ifing's deep and murky wave 
Parts the ancient sons of earth 
From the dwelling of the Goths : 
Open flows the mighty flood, 
Nor shall ice arrest its course 
While the wheel of Ages rolls." 

Vafthrudni's-mal (W. Taylor's tr.). 

In the very center of the sacred space, which from the be- 
ginning of the world had been reserved for their own abode 
and called Asgard (home of the gods), the twelve yEsir (gods) and 
twenty-four Asynjur (goddesses) all assembled. They decreed 
that no blood should ever be shed within the limits of their realm, 
or peace stead, but that harmony must reign there forever. Then 
after due consultation they established a forge where they fash- 
ioned all their weapons and the tools required to build magnifi- 



THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS. 19 

cent palaces of precious metals, in which they lived for many- 
long years in a state of such perfect happiness that this period 
has been called the Golden Age. 

Although the gods had from the beginning designed Midgard, 
or Mana-heim, as the abode of man, there were at first no human 
beings to inhabit it. One day Odin, Vili, and Ve, creation of 
according to some authorities, or Odin, Hoenir (the man - 

bright one), and Lodur, or Loki (fire), started out together and 
walked along the seashore, where they found either two trees, 
the ash, Ask, and the elm, Embla, or two blocks of wood, hewn 
into rude semblances of the human form. The gods gazed at 
first upon the inanimate wood in silent wonder, then perceiving 
the use it could be put to, Odin gave these logs souls, Hoenir 
bestowed motion and senses, and Lodur contributed blood and 
blooming complexions. 

" There were twain and they went upon earth, and were speechless, 

unmighty, and wan ; 
They were hopeless, deathless, lifeless, and the Mighty named them 

Man. 
Then they gave them speech and power, and they gave them color 

and breath ; 
And deeds and the hope they gave them, and they gave them Life 

and Death." 

Sigurd the Volsung (William Morris). 

This newly created man and woman were then left to rule Mid- 
gard at will. They gradually peopled it with their descendants, 
while the gods, remembering they had called them into life, took 
a special interest in all they did, watched over them, and often 
vouchsafed their aid and protection. 

Allfather in the mean while had not been idle, but had created 
a huge ash called Yggdrasil, the tree of the universe, of time, or 
of life, which filled all the world, taking root not The Ygg drasii 
only in the remotest depths of Nifl-heim, where tree - 

bubbled the spring Hvergelmir, but also in Midgard, near Mimir's 
well (the ocean), and in Asgard, near the Urdar fountain. 



20 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

These three great roots permitted the tree to attain such a 
marvelous height that its topmost bough, called Lerad ({he peace 
giver), overshadowed Odin's hall, while the other wide-spreading 
branches towered over all the other worlds. An eagle was 
perched on the bough Lerad, and between his eyes sat the falcon 
Vedfolnir, sending his piercing glances down into heaven, earth, 
and Nifl-heim, and reporting all he saw. 

As the tree Yggdrasil was ever green, and its leaves never 
withered, it served as pasturing ground not only for Odin's goat 
Heidrun, which supplied the heavenly mead, the drink of the 
gods, but also for the stags Dain, Dvalin, Duneyr, and Durathor, 
from whose horns the honeydew dropped down upon the earth 
and furnished the water for all the rivers in the world. 

In the seething caldron Hvergelmir, close by the great tree, 
was a horrible dragon called Nidhug, which continually gnawed 
the roots, and was helped in his work of destruction by countless 
worms, whose aim it was to kill the tree, knowing that its death 
would be the signal for the downfall of the gods. 

" Through all our life a tempter prowls malignant, 
The cruel Nidhug from the world below. 
He hates that asa-light whose rays benignant 

On th' hero's brow and glitt'ring sword bright glow." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

Scampering continually up and down the branches and trunk 
of the tree was the squirrel Ratatosk (branch borer), the typical 
busybody and tale bearer, which passed up and down, reporting 
the eagle's remarks to the dragon, and vice versa, in the hope of 
stirring up strife between them. 

To maintain the tree Yggdrasil in a perfectly healthy condition, 

the Norns or Fates daily sprinkled it with the holy waters from 

the Urdar fountain, and as this water trickled down 

Bifrost. 

to earth it supplied the bees with honey. From 
either edge of Nifl-heim, arching high above Midgard, rose the 
gods' bridge, Bifrost (Asabru, the rainbow), built of fire, water, 



THE BEGINNING OE AIL THINGS. 21 

and air, whose quivering and changing hues it retained, and over 
which none but the gods were privileged to travel to and fro, on 
their journey to the earth or to the Urdar well, at the foot of the 
ash Yggdrasil, where they daily assembled in council. 






" The gods arose 
And took their horses, and set forth to ride 
O'er the bridge Bifrost, where is Heimdall's watch, 
To the ash Igdrasil, and Ida's plain. 
Thor came on foot, the rest on horseback rode." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Of all the gods only Thor, the god of thunder, never passed 
over the bridge, for they feared that his heavy tread or the heat 
of his lightnings would destroy it. The gods' watchman, Heim- 
dall, kept guard there night and day. He was armed with a very 
trenchant sword, and carried a trumpet called Giallar-horn, upon 
which he generally blew a soft note to announce the coming or 
going of the gods, but upon which he would blow a terrible blast 
when Ragnarok should come, and the frost giants and Surtr 
threatened to destroy the world. 

" Surt from the south comes 
With flickering flame ; 
Shines from his sword 
The Val-god's sun. 
The stony hills are dashed together, 
The giantesses totter ; 
Men tread the path of Hel, 
And heaven is cloven." 

S^mund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Now although the original inhabitants of heaven were the ^Esir, 
they were not the sole divinities of the Northern races, who also 
recognized the power of the sea and wind gods, 

^ tt 1 «• • , T , ■ , ,. , . TheVanas. 

the Vanas, dwelling in Vana-heim and ruling their 

realms as they pleased. In early times, before the golden palaces 

in Asgard were built, a dispute arose between the ^Esir and Vanas, 



22 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

and they soon resorted to arms to settle it, using rocks, mount- 
ains, and icebergs as missiles. But discovering ere long that in 
unity alone lay their strength, they agreed to let the quarrel drop 
and make peace, and to ratify the treaty they exchanged hostages. 
It was thus that the Van, Niord, came to dwell in Asgard with 
his two children, Frey and Freya, while the Asa, Hoenir, Odin's 
own brother, took up his abode in Vana-heim forever. 



CHAPTER II. 



ODIN. 



Odin, Wuotan, or Woden was the highest and holiest god of 
the Northern races. He was the all-pervading spirit of the uni- 
verse, the personification of the air, the god of universal wisdom 
and victory, and the leader and protector of princes and heroes. 
As all the gods were supposed to be descended from him, he 
was surnamed Allfather, and as eldest and chief among them he 
occupied Asgard, the highest seat. Known by the name of 
Hlidskialf, this chair was not only an exalted throne, but also a 
mighty watch tower, from whence he could overlook the whole 
world and see at a glance all that was happening among gods, 
giants, elves, dwarfs, and men. 

" From the hall of Heaven he rode away 
To Lidskialf, and sate upon his throne, 
The mount, from whence his eye surveys the world. 
And far from Heaven he turn'd his shining orbs 
To look on Midgard, and the earth and men." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

None but Odin and his wife and queen Frigga had the privi- 
lege of using this seat, and when they occupied it they generally 
gazed towards the south and west, the goal of all din's personal 
the hopes and excursions of the Northern nations. appearance. 
Odin was generally represented as a tall, vigorous man, about 
fifty years of age, either with dark curling hair or with a long 
gray beard and bald head. He was clad in a suit of gray, with 
a blue hood, and his muscular body was enveloped in a wide blue 

23 



24 MYTHS OF XORTHERN LANDS. 

mantle all flecked with gray — an emblem of the sky with its 
fleecy clouds. In his hand Odin generally carried the infallible 
spear Gungnir, which was so sacred that an oath sworn upon its 
point could never be broken, and on his finger or arm he wore 
the marvelous ring Draupnir, the emblem of fruitfulness, precious 
beyond compare. When seated upon his throne or armed for 
the fray, in which he often took an active part, Odin wore his 
eagle helmet ; but when he wandered about the earth in human 
guise, to see what men were doing, he generally donned a broad- 
brimmed hat, drawn down low over his forehead to conceal the 
fact of his having but one eye. 

" Then into the Volsungs' dwelling a mighty man there strode, 
One-eyed and seeming ancient, yet bright his visage glowed ; 
Cloud-blue was the hood upon him, and his kirtle gleaming-gray 
As the latter morning sun dog when the storm is on the way : 
A bill he bore on his shoulder, whose mighty ashen beam 
Burnt bright with the flame of the sea and the blended silver's gleam." 

Sigurd the Volsung (William Morris). 

Two ravens, Hugin (thought) and Munin (memory), perched 
upon his shoulders as he sat upon his throne, and these he sent 
out into the wide world every morning, anxiously watching for 
their return at nightfall, when they whispered into his ears news 
of all they had seen and heard, keeping him well informed about 
everything that was happening on earth. 

" Hugin and Munin 
Fly each day 
Over the spacious earth. 
I fear for Hugin 
That he come not back, 
Yet more anxious am I for Munin." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

At his feet crouched two wolves or hunting hounds, Geri and 
Freki, which animals were therefore considered sacred to him, 
and of good omen if met by the way. Odin always fed these 



ODIN. 25 

wolves with his own hands from the meat set before him, for he 
required no food at all, and seldom tasted anything except the 

sacred mead. 

" Geri and Freki 
The war-wont sates, 
The triumphant sire of hosts ; 
But on wine only 
The famed in arms 
Odin, ever lives." 

Lay of Grimnik (Thorpe's tr.). 

When seated in state upon his throne, Odin rested his feet upon 
a footstool of gold, the work of the gods, whose furniture and 
utensils were all fashioned either of that precious metal or of silver. 

Besides the magnificent hall Glads-heim,where stood the twelve 
seats occupied by the gods when they met in council, and Vala- 
skialf, where his throne, Hlidskialf, was placed, Odin had a third 
palace in Asgard, situated in the midst of the marvelous grove 
Glasir, whose leaves were all of shimmering red gold. 

This palace, called Valhalla (the hall of the chosen slain), 
had five hundred and forty doors, wide enough to allow the pas- 
sage of eight hundred warriors abreast, and above 

. . Valhalla. 

the principal gate were a boar's head and an eagle 
whose piercing glance looked all over the world. The walls of 
this marvelous building were fashioned of glittering spears, so 
highly polished that they illuminated all the hall. The roof was 
of golden shields, and the benches were decorated with fine 
armor, the god's gifts to his guests. Here long tables afforded 
ample accommodations for the warriors fallen in battle, who were 
called Einheriar, and were considered Odin's favorite guests. 

" Easily to be known is, 
By those who to Odin come, 
The mansion by its aspect. 
Its roof with spears is laid, 
Its hall with shields is decked, 
With corselets are its benches strewed." 

Lay of Grimnir (Thorpe's tr.). 



26 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

The ancient Northern nations, who deemed warfare the most 
honorable of occupations, and considered courage the greatest 
virtue, worshiped Odin principally as god of battle and victory, 
and believed that whenever a fight was about to occur he sent out 
his special attendants, the shield, battle, or wish maidens, called 
Valkyrs (choosers of the slain). They selected one half the 
dead warriors, and bore them on their fleet steeds over the quiv- 
ering rainbow bridge Bifrost, into his hall, where many honors 
awaited them. Welcomed by Odin's sons, Hermod and Bragi, 
the heroes were then conducted to the foot of Odin's throne, 
where they received the praises due their valor. When some 
special favorite of the god was thus brought into Asgard, Yal- 
father (father of the slain), as Odin was called when he presided 
over the warriors, sometimes rose from his throne to meet him 
at the door and himself bid him welcome. 

Besides the hope of the glory of such a distinction, and the 

promise of dwelling in Odin's beloved presence day after day, 

other more material pleasures awaited the warriors in Valhalla. 

The feast of They were seated around the board, where the 

the heroes. beautiful white-armed virgins, the Valkyrs, having 
laid aside their armor and clad themselves in pure white robes, 
constantly waited upon them. These maidens, nine in number, 
according to some mythologists, brought the heroes great horns 
full of delicious mead, and set before them huge portions of boars' 
flesh, upon which they feasted most heartily. The usual Northern 
drink was beer or ale, but our ancestors fancied this beverage 
too coarse for the heavenly sphere. They therefore imagined 
that Valfather kept his table liberally supplied with mead or 
hydromel, which was daily furnished in great abundance by 
his she-goat Heidrun, continually browsing on the tender leaves 
and twigs on Yggdrasil's topmost branch, Lerad. 






" Rash war and perilous battle, their delight; 
And immature, and red with glorious wounds, 
Unpeaceful death their choice : deriving thence 
A right to feast and drain immortal bowls, 



ODIN. 27 

In Odin's hall ; whose blazing roof resounds 
The genial uproar of those shades who fall 
In desperate fight, or by some brave attempt." 

Liberty (James Thomson). 

The meat upon which the Einheriar feasted was the flesh of the 
divine boar Saehrimnir, a marvelous beast, daily slain by the 
cook Andhrimnir, and boiled in the great caldron Eldhrimnir; 
but although Odin's guests had true Northern appetites and 
fairly gorged themselves, there was always plenty of meat for all. 

" Andhrimnir cooks 
In Eldhrimnir 
Saehrimnir; 
'Tis the best of flesh ; 
But few know 
What the einherjes eat." 

Lay of Grimnir (Anderson's version). 

Moreover the supply was exhaustless, for the boar always 
came to life again before the time for the next meal, when he 
was again slain and devoured. This miraculous renewal of sup- 
plies in the larder was not the only wonderful occurrence in 
Valhalla, for it is also related that the warriors, after having eaten 
and drunk to satiety, always called for their weapons, armed 
themselves, and rode out into the great courtyard, where they 
fought against one another, repeating the feats of arms achieved 
while on earth, and recklessly dealing terrible wounds, which were 
miraculously and completely healed as soon as the dinner horn 
sounded. 

" All the chosen guests of Odin 

Daily ply the trade of war; 

From the fields of festal fight 

Swift they ride in gleaming arms, 

And gaily, at the board of gods, 

Quaff the cup of sparkling ale 

And eat Sashrimni's vaunted flesh." 

Vafthrudni's-mal (W. Taylor's tr.). 



2 5 MYTHS OF XORTHERX LAXDS. 

Whole and happy once more, — for they bore one another no 
grudge for the cruel thrusts given and received, and lived in 
perfect amity together, — the Einheriar then rode gaily back to 
Valhalla to renew their feasts in Odin's beloved presence, while 
the white-armed Valkyrs, with flying hair, glided gracefully about, 
constantly filling their horns or their favorite drinking vessels, the 
skulls of their enemies, while the scalds sang of war and stirring- 
Viking expeditions. 

" And all day long they there are hack'd and hewn 
'Mid dust, and groans, and limbs lopp'd off, and blood; 
But all at night return to Odin's hall 
Woundless and fresh; such lot is theirs in Heaven." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Thus fighting and feasting, the heroes were said to spend day 
after day in perfect bliss, while Odin delighted in their strength 
and number, which, however, he foresaw would not long avail to 
ward off his downfall when the day of the last battle had dawned. 

As such pleasures were the highest a Northern warrior's fancy 
could paint, it was very natural that all fighting men should love 
Odin, and early in life should dedicate themselves to his service. 
They vowed to die arms in hand, if possible, and even wounded 
themselves with their own spears when death drew near, if they 
had been unfortunate enough to escape death on the battlefield 
and were threatened with " straw death," as they called decease 
from old age or sickness. 

" To Odin then true-fast 
Carves he fair runics, — 
Death-runes cut deep on his arm and his breast." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

In reward for this devotion Odin watched with special care 
over his favorites, giving them a magic sword, spear, or horse, 
and making them invincible until their last hour had come, when 
he himself appeared to claim or destroy the gift he had bestowed, 
and the Valkyrs bore them off to Valhalla. 



ODIN. 29 

" He gave to Hermod 
A helm and corselet, 
And from him Sigmund 
A sword received." 

Lay of Hyndla (Thorpe's tr.). 

Whenever Odin took an active part in war, he generally rode 
his eight-footed gray steed, Sleipnir, brandished his white shield, 
and flung his glittering spear over the heads of the 

Sleipnir. 

combatants, who only awaited this signal to fall 

upon one another, while the god dashed into their midst shouting 

his warcry : " Odin has you all! " 

" And Odin donn'd 
His dazzling corslet and his helm of gold, 
And led the way on Sleipnir." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

At times he also used his magic bow, from which he shot ten 
arrows at once, every one invariably bringing down a foe. Odin 
was also supposed to inspire his favorite warriors with the re- 
nowned "Berserker rage" (bare sark or shirt), which enabled 
them, although naked, weaponless, and sore beset, to perform 
unheard-of feats of valor and strength, and go about as with 
charmed lives. 

As Odin's characteristics, like the all-pervading elements, were 
multitudinous, so were also his names, of which he had no less 
than two hundred, almost all of which were descriptive of some 
phase of his being. He was considered the ancient god of sea- 
men and of the wind : 

" Mighty Odin, 
Norsemen hearts we bend to thee ! 
Steer our barks, all-potent Woden, 
O'er the surging Baltic Sea." 

Vail. 

Odin, as wind god, generally rode about on his eight-footed 
steed Sleipnir, a habit which gave rise to the oldest Northern 



30 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

riddle, which runs as follows : " Who are the two who ride to the 
Thing? Three eyes have they together, ten feet, and one tail; 
and thus they travel through the lands." And as the souls of the 
dead were supposed to be wafted away on the wings of the storm, 
Odin was worshiped as the leader of all disembodied spirits. In 
this character he was most generally known as the Wild Hunts- 
man, and when people heard the rush and roar of the wind they 
cried aloud in superstitious fear, fancying they heard and saw him 
ride past with his train, all mounted on snorting steeds, and accom- 
The Wild panied by baying hounds. And the passing of the 
Hunt. W || d Hunt, known as Woden's Hunt, the Raging 

Host, Gabriel's Hounds, or Asgardreia, was also considered a 
presage of misfortune of some kind, such as pestilence or war. 

" The Rhine flows bright; but its waves ere long 
Must hear a voice of war, 
And a clash of spears our hills among, 

And a trumpet from afar; 
And the brave on a bloody turf must lie, 
For the Huntsman hath gone by ! " 

The W t ild Huntsman (Mrs. Hemans). 

People further fancied that if any were so sacrilegious as to 
join in the wild halloo in mockery, they were immediately 
snatched up and whirled away with the vanishing host, while 
those who joined in the halloo with implicit good faith were 
rewarded for their credulity by the sudden gift of a horse's leg, 
hurled at them from above, which, if they carefully kept until the 
morrow, was changed into a solid lump of gold. 

Even after the introduction of Christianity the ignorant North- 
ern people still dreaded the on-coming storm, declaring that it was 
the Wild Hunt sweeping across the sky. 

"And ofttimes will start, 
For overhead are sweeping Gabriel's hounds, 

Doomed with their impious lord the flying hart 
To chase forever on aereal grounds. " 

Sonnet (Wordsworth). 



ODIN. 31 

Sometimes it left behind it a small black dog, which, cowering 
and whining upon a neighboring hearth, had to be kept for a whole 
year and carefully tended unless the people succeeded in exor- 
cising it or frightening it away. The usual recipe, the same as 
for the riddance of changelings, was to brew beer in egg-shells, 
which performance so startled the spectral dog that he fled with 
his tail between his legs, exclaiming that, although as old as the 
Behmer, or Bohemian forest, he had never yet seen such an un- 
canny sight. 

" I am as old 

As the Behmer wold, 

And have in my life 

Such a brewing not seen." 

Old Saying (Thorpe's tr.). 

The object of this phantom hunt varied greatly, and was either 
a visionary boar or wild horse, white-breasted maidens who were 
caught and borne away bound only once in seven years, or the 
wood nymphs, called Moss Maidens, who were thought to rep- 
resent the autumn leaves torn from the trees and whirled away 
by the wintry gale. 

In the middle ages, when the belief in the old heathen deities 
was partly forgotten, the leader of the Wild Hunt was no longer 
Odin, but Charlemagne, Frederick Barbarossa, King Arthur, or 
some Sabbath breaker, like the squire of Rodenstein or Hans von 
Hackelberg, who, in punishment for his sins, was condemned to 
hunt forever through the realms of air. 

As the winds blew fiercest in autumn and winter, Odin was 
supposed to hunt in preference during that season, especially 
during the time between Christmas and Twelfth-night, and the 
peasants were always careful to leave the last sheaf or measure 
of grain out in the fields to serve as food for his horse. 

This hunt was of course known by various names in the differ- 
ent countries of northern Europe ; but as the tales told about it 
are all alike, they evidently originated in the same old heathen 
belief, and to this day ignorant people of the North still fancy 



32 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

that the baying of a hound on a stormy night is an infallible 
presage of death. 

" Still, still shall last the dreadful chase, 
Till time itself shall have an end ; 
By day, they scour earth's cavern'd space, 
At midnight's' witching hour, ascend. 

" This is the horn, and hound, and horse 
That oft the lated peasant hears ; 
Appall'd, he signs the frequent cross, 
When the wild din invades his ears. 

" The wakeful priest oft drops a tear 
For human pride, for human woe, 
When, at his midnight mass, he hears 
The infernal cry of ' Holla, ho ! ' " 

Sir Walter Scott. 

The Wild Hunt, or Raging Host of Germany, was called Her- 
lathing in England, from the mythical king Herla, its supposed 
leader; in northern France it bore the name of Mesnee d'Helle- 
quin, from Hel, goddess of death ; and in the middle ages it was 
known as Cain's Hunt or Herod's Hunt, these latter names being 
given because the leaders were supposed to be unable to find 
rest on account of the iniquitous murders of Abel, of John the 
Baptist and of the Holy Innocents. 

In central France the Wild Huntsman, whom we have al- 
ready seen in other countries as Odin, Charlemagne, Barbarossa, 
Rodenstein, von Hackelberg, King Arthur, Hel, one of the Swed- 
ish kings, Gabriel, Cain, or Herod, is also called the Great 
Huntsman of. Fontainebleau {le Grand Veneur de Fontainebleau), 
and people declare that on the eve of Henry IV. 's murder, 
and also just before the outbreak of the great French Revolution, 
his shouts were distinctly heard as he swept across the sky. 

It was generally believed among the Northern nations that the 
soul escaped from the body in the shape of a mouse, which crept 
out of a corpse's mouth and ran away, and it was also said to creep 




[Ojyp. p. 32.) 



THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN.— H. Kaulbach. 



ODIN. 33 

in and out of the mouths of people in a trance. While the 
soul was absent, no effort or remedy could recall the patient to 
life ; but as soon as it had come back animation returned. 

As Odin was the leader of all disembodied spirits, he was 
identified in the middle ages with the Pied Piper of Ham- 
elin. According to mediaeval legends, Hamelin was so infested 
by rats (the souls of the dead) that life became unbearable, and 
a large reward was offered to the person who would The Pied 
rid the town of these rodents. A piper, in party- Piper, 

colored garments, undertook the j ob, and piped so gaily that the rats 
were one and all beguiled out of their holes, along the street, and 
down to the river Weser, where they were drowned. 

" And ere three shrill notes the pipe uttered, 
You heard as if an army muttered ; 
And the muttering grew to a grumbling; 
And the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling; 
And out of the houses the rats came tumbling. 
Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats, 
Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny rats, 
Grave old plodders, gay young friskers, 

Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins, 
Cocking tails and pricking whiskers, 

Families by tens and dozens, 
Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives — 
Followed the Piper for their lives. 
From street to street he piped advancing, 
And step for step they followed dancing, 
Until they came to the river Weser, 
Wherein all plunged and perished ! " 

Robert Browning. 

As the rats were all dead, and there was no chance of their 
returning to plague them, the people of Hamelin refused to pay 
the promised reward, and braving the piper's anger bade him do 
his worst. A few moments later the magic flute again began to 
play, and the astonished parents saw all their children gaily 
swarm out of the houses and merrily follow the piper. 
3 



34 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

" There was a rustling that seemed like a bustling 
Of merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling ; 
Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering, 
Little hands clapping and little tongues chattering, 
And, like fowls in a farmyard when barley is scattering, 
Out came all the children running. 
All the little boys and girls, 
With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls, 
And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls, 
Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after 
The wonderful music with shouting and laughter." 

Robert Browning. 

While the parents stood there helpless and spellbound, the piper 
led the children out of the town to the Koppelberg, a hill, which 
miraculously opened to receive them, and only closed again 
when the last child had passed out of sight. The children were 
never seen in Hamelin again, and in commemoration of this 
public calamity all official decrees have since been dated so 
many years after the Pied Piper's visit. 

" They made a decree that lawyers never 

Should think their records dated duly 

If, after the day of the month and year, 

These words did not as well appear, 

1 And so long after what happened here 

On the Twenty-second of July, 
Thirteen hundred and seventy-six.' 
And the better in memory to fix 
The place of the children's last retreat, 
They called it the Pied Piper street — 
Where any one playing on pipe or tabor 
Was sure for the future to lose his labor." 

Robert Browning. 

In this myth Odin is the piper, the shrill tones of the flute are 
emblematic of the whistling wind, the rats represent the souls of 
the dead, which cheerfully follow him, and he even leads the 
children into the hollow mountain, which is typical of the grave. 



ODIN. 35 

Another German legend, which owes its existence to this belief, 
is the story of Bishop Hatto, the miserly prelate, who, annoyed 
by the clamors of the poor during a time of famine, 
had them all burned alive in a deserted barn, like 
the rats whom he declared they resembled, rather than give them 
some of the precious grain which he had laid up for himself. 

" e I' faith, 'tis an excellent bonfire ! ' quoth he, 
' And the country is greatly obliged to me 
For ridding it in these times forlorn 
Of rats that only consume the corn.' " 

Robert Southey. 

No sooner had this terrible crime been accomplished than the 
souls of the poor murdered wretches, assuming the forms of the 
rats to which he had likened them, came rushing towards the 
wicked bishop, whom they pursued even into the middle of the 
Rhine, where he took refuge in a stone tower to escape from 
their fangs. But the rats swam to the tower, gnawed their way 
through the stone walls, and pouring in on all sides at once, they 
pounced upon the bishop and devoured him. 

" And in at the windows, and in at the door, 
And through the walls, helter-skelter they pour, 
And down from the ceiling, and up through the floor, 
From the right and the left, from behind and before, 
From within and without, from above and below, 
And all at once to the Bishop they go. 
They have whetted their teeth against the stones ; 
And now they pick the Bishop's bones ; 
They gnaw'd the flesh from every limb, 
For they were sent to do judgment on him ! " 

Robert Southey. 

The red glow of the sunset above the Rat Tower near Bingen 
on the Rhine is supposed to be the reflection of the hell fire in 
which the wicked bishop is slowly roasting in punishment for this 
heinous crime. 

In some parts of Germany Odin was considered identical with 



36 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

the Saxon god Irmin, whose statue, the Irminsul, near Paderborn, 
was destroyed by Charlemagne in 772. Irmin was said to pos- 
sess a ponderous brazen chariot, in which he rode 

Irmin. 

across the sky along the path which we know as 
the Milky Way, but which the ancient Germans designated as 
Irmin's Way. This chariot, whose rumbling sound occasionally 
became perceptible to mortal ears as thunder, never left the sky, 
where it can still be seen in the constellation of the Great Bear, 
which is also known in the North as Odin's, or Charles's Wain. 

" The Wain, who wheels on high 
His circling course, and on Orion waits ; 
Sole star that never bathes in the Ocean wave." 

Homer's Iliad (Derby's tr.). 

To obtain the great wisdom for which he is so famous, Odin, 

in the morn of time, wandered off to Mimir's (Memor, memory) 

spring, " the fountain of all wit and wisdom," in 

Mimir's well. ,..,,, . . , 

whose liquid depths even the future was clearly 
mirrored, and besought the old man who guarded it to let him 
have a draught. But Mimir, who well knew the value of such a 
favor (for his spring was considered the source or headwater of 
memory), refused to grant it unless Odin would consent to give 
one of his eyes in exchange. 

The god did not hesitate, but immediately plucked out one of 
his eyes, which Mimir kept in pledge, sinking it deep down into 
his fountain, where it shone with mild luster-, leaving Odin with 
but one eye, which is considered emblematic of the sun. 

" Through our whole lives we strive towards the sun; 
That burning forehead is the eye of Odin. 
His second eye, the moon, shines not so bright; 
It has he placed in pledge in Mimer's fountain, 
That he may fetch the healing waters thence, 
Each morning, for the strengthening of this eye." 

Oehlenschlager (Howitt's tr.). 

Drinking deeply of Mimir's fount, Odin gained the knowledge he 
coveted, and such was the benefit received that he never regretted 



ODIN. 37 

the sacrifice he had made, but as further memorial of that day 
broke off a branch of the sacred tree Yggdrasil, which over- 
shadowed the spring, and fashioned from it his beloved spear 
Gungnir. 

" A dauntless god 
Drew for drink to its gleam, 
Where he left in endless 
Payment the light of an eye. 
From the world-ash 
Ere Wotan went he broke a bough ; 
For a spear the staff 
He split with strength from the stem." 

Dusk of the Gods, Wagner (Forman's tr.). 

But although Odin had won all knowledge, he was sad and 
oppressed, for he had. also won an insight into futurity, and had 
become aware of the transitory nature of all things, and even 
of the fate of the gods, who were doomed to pass away. This 
knowledge so affected his spirits that he ever after wore a melan- 
choly and contemplative expression. 

To test the value of the wisdom he had thus obtained, Odin 
soon went to visit the most learned of all the giants, Vafthrudnir, 
and entered with him into a contest of wit, in which the stake 
was nothing less than the loser's head. 

" Odin rose with speed, and went 
To contend in runic lore 
With the wise and crafty Jute. 
To Vafthrudni's royal hall 
Came the mighty king of spells." 

Vafthrudni's-mal (W. Taylor's tr.). 

On this occasion Odin had disguised himself as a Wanderer, 
by Frigga's advice, and when asked his name declared it was 
Gangrad. The contest of wit immediately began, odin and 
Vafthrudnir questioning his guest concerning the Vafthrudnir. 
horses which carried Day and Night across the sky, the river 



38 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Ifing separating Jotun-heim from Asgard, and also about Vigrid, 
the field where the last battle was to be fought. 

All these questions were minutely answered by Odin, who, 
when Vafthrudnir had ended, began the interrogatory in his turn, 
and received equally explicit answers about the origin of heaven 
and earth, the creation of the gods, their quarrel with the Vanas, 
the occupations of the heroes in Valhalla, the offices of the 
Norns, and the rulers who were to replace the .^Esir when they 
had all perished with the world they had created. But, when in 
conclusion, Odin bent near the giant and softly inquired what 
words Allfather whispered to his dead son Balder as he lay upon 
his funeral pyre, Vafthrudnir suddenly recognized his divine visitor. 
Starting back in dismay he declared that no one but Odin himself 
could answer that question, and that it was now quite plain to 
him that he had madly striven in a contest of wisdom and wit 
with the king of the gods, and fully deserved the penalty of 
failure, the loss of his head. 

" Not the man of mortal race 
Knows the words which thou hast spoken 
To thy son in days of yore. 
I hear the coming tread of death; 
He soon shall raze the runic lore, 
And knowledge of the rise of gods, 
From his ill-fated soul who strove 
With Odin's self the strife of wit, 
Wisest of the wise that breathe : 
Our stake was life, and thou hast won." 

Vafthrudni's-mal (W. Taylor's tr.). 

As is the case with so many of the Northern myths, which are 
often fragmentary and obscure, this one ends here, and none of 
the scalds inform us whether Odin really slew his rival, nor what 
was the answer to his last question ; but my tholo gists have haz- 
arded the suggestion that the word whispered by Odin in Balder's 
ear, to console him for his untimely death, must have been the 
hopeful term "resurrection." 



ODIN. 39 

Besides being god of wisdom, Odin was god and inventor of 
runes, the earliest alphabet used by Northern nations, which 
characters, meaning mystery, were at first used for invention of 
divination, although in later times they served for runes, 

inscriptions and records. Just as wisdom could only be obtained 
at the cost of sacrifice, Odin himself relates that he hung nine 
days and nights from the sacred tree Yggdrasil, gazing down into 
the immeasurable depths of Nifl-heim, plunged in deep thought, 
ere, after wounding himself with his spear, he won the knowl- 
edge he sought. 

" I know that I hung 

On a wind-rocked tree 

Nine whole nights, 

With a spear wounded, 

And to Odin offered 

Myself to myself; 

On that tree 

Of which no one knows 

From what root it springs." 

Odin's Rune-Song (Thorpe's tr.). 

When he had fully mastered this knowledge, Odin cut magic 
runes upon his spear Gungnir, upon the teeth of his horse Sleipnir, 
upon the claws of the bear, and upon countless other animate and 
inanimate things. And because he had thus hung over the abyss 
for such a long space of time, he was ever after considered the pa- 
tron divinity of all who were condemned to be hanged or who 
perished by the noose. 

After obtaining the gift of wisdom and runes, which gave him 
power over all things, Odin also coveted the gift of eloquence 
and poetry, which became his in a manner which we shall relate 
in a subsequent chapter. 

Odin, as has already been stated, took great interest in the 
affairs of mortals, and, we are told, was specially fond of watching 
King Hrauding's handsome little sons, Geirrod Ge irrod and 
and Agnar, when they were about eight and ten Agnar. 

years of age. One day these little lads went fishing, and when 



40 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

a storm suddenly arose their boat drifted far out to sea, and was 
finally stranded upon an island, where dwelt an old couple, Odin 
and Frigga, in disguise. The lads were warmly welcomed and 
kindly treated, Odin choosing Geirrod as his favorite, and teach- 
ing him the use of arms, while Frigga petted and made much of 
little Agnar. The boys tarried on the island with their kind pro- 
tectors during the long, cold winter season ; but when spring 
came, the skies were blue, and the sea calm, they embarked in a 
boat which Odin provided, and set out for their native shores. 
Favored by gentle breezes, they were soon wafted thither ; but as 
the boat neared the shore Geirrod quickly sprang out and shoved 
it far into the water, bidding his brother sail away into the evil 
spirit's power. At that selfsame moment the wind veered, and 
Agnar was carried away, while his brother hastened back to his 
father's palace, where he was joyfully received, and where, in due 
time, he succeeded his father upon the throne. 

Years had passed since Odin and Frigga had spent that winter 
in human form on the desert island, when one day, while the 
royal couple were seated on the throne Hlidskialf, Odin bade his 
wife notice how powerful his pupil had become, and taunted her 
because her favorite Agnar had married a giantess and had re- 
mained poor and of no importance in the world. Frigga quietly 
replied that it was better to be poor than hard hearted, and accused 
Geirrod of lack of hospitality — one of the most heinous crimes 
in the eyes of a Northerner. She even went so far as to declare 
that in spite of all his wealth he often ill treated his guests. 

When Odin heard this accusation he declared that he would 
prove the falsity of her charge hj assuming the guise of a Wan- 
derer and testing Geirrod's generosity. Wrapped in his cloud- 
hued raiment, with slouch hat and pilgrim staff, — 

' Wanderer calls me the world, ^/ 
Far have I carried my feet, 
On the back of the earth 
I have boundlessly been," — 

Wagner (Forman's tr.) 



ODIN. 4 1 

Odin immediately set out by a roundabout way, while Frigga, 
to outwit him, sent Geirrod a secret warning to beware of a man 
in wide mantle and broad-brimmed hat, as he was a wicked 
enchanter who would work him ill. 

As soon, therefore, as Odin presented himself before the king's 
palace he was dragged into Geirrod's presence, where, when he 
had given his name as Grimnir, and had refused to tell whence 
he came or what he wanted, he was bound between two fires, 
whose flames played around him without quite touching him. 
There he remained eight days and nights, in obstinate silence, 
without a morsel of food, and had it not been that Agnar, who 
had returned to his brother's palace and occupied a menial posi- 
tion there, once secretly brought him a horn of ale, he would have 
had nothing to drink. 

At the end of the eighth day, while Geirrod, seated upon his 
throne, was gloating over his prisoner's sufferings, Odin began to 
sing — softly at first, then louder and louder, until the hall re- 
echoed with his triumphant notes — a prophecy that the king, who 
had so long enjoyed the god's favor, would soon perish by his own 
sword. 

" The fallen by the sword 

Ygg shall now have ; 

Thy life is now run out : 

Wroth with thee are the Disir: 

Odin thou now shalt see : 

Draw near to me if thou canst." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

As the last notes died away the chains dropped from his hands, 
the flames flickered and went out, and Odin stood in the midst 
of the hall, no longer in human form, but in all the power and 
beauty of a god. 

On hearing the ominous prophecy Geirrod hastily drew his 
sword, intending to slay the insolent singer ; but when he beheld 
the sudden transformation he started in dismay, tripped, fell 
upon the sharp blade, and perished as Odin had just foretold. 



42 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Turning to Agnar, who, according to some accounts, was the 
king's son and not his brother, Odin then bade him ascend the 
throne in reward for his humanity and, further to repay him for the 
timely draught of ale, the king of the gods blessed him with all 
manner of prosperity. 

On another occasion Odin wandered off to earth, and was 
absent so long that no one ever expected to see him in Asgard 
again. His brothers Vili and Ve, who by some mythologists 
are considered as other personifications of himself, then usurped 
his power, occupied his throne, and even, we are told, married 
his wife Frigga. 

" Be thou silent, Frigg ! 
Thou art Fiorgyn's daughter 
And ever hast been fond of men, 
Since Ve and Vili, it is said, 
Thou, Vidrir's wife, didst 
Both to thy bosom take." 

SjEmund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

But upon his return they vanished forever; and in commem- 
oration of the disappearance of the false Odin, who had ruled 
seven months and had brought nothing but unhappiness to the 
world, and of the return of the benevolent deity, the heathen 
May-day Northerners formerly celebrated yearly festivals 
festivals. anc i processions, which were long continued as 
May-day rejoicings. Until very lately there was always, on that 
day, a grand procession in Sweden, known as the May Ride, in 
which a flower-decked May king (Odin) pelted with blossoms the 
fur-enveloped Winter (his supplanter), until he put him to igno- 
minious flight. In England the first of May was also a festive 
occasion, in which May-pole dances, May queens, Maid Marian, 
and Jack in the Green played prominent parts. 

As personification of heaven, Odin, of course, was the lover 
and spouse of the earth, and as it appeared under a threefold 
aspect, the Northerners, although a chaste race, depicted him as 
a polygamist, and allotted to him several wives. The first among 



ODIN. 43 

these was Jord (Erda), the primitive earth, daughter of Night 
or of the giantess Fiorgyn. She bore him his famous son Thor, 
the god of thunder. The second and principal wife was Frigga, a 
personification of the civilized world. She gave him Balder, the 
gentle god of spring, Hermod, and, according to some authori- 
ties, Tyr. The third wife was Rinda, a personification of the 
hard and frozen earth, who reluctantly yields to his warm em- 
brace, but finally gives birth to Vali, the emblem of vegetation. 
Odin is also said to have married Saga or Laga, the goddess of 
history (hence our verb " to say "), and to have daily visited her 
in the crystal hall of Sokvabek, beneath a cool, ever-flowing river, 
to drink its waters and listen to her songs about olden times and 
vanished races. 

" Sokvabek hight the fourth dwelling; 
Over it flow the cool billows ; 
Glad drink there Odin and Saga 
Every day from golden cups." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

His other wives were Grid, the mother of Vidar; Gunlod, the 
mother of Bragi ; Skadi ; and the nine giantesses who simultane- 
ously bore Heimdall — all of whom play more or less important 
parts in the various myths of the North. 

Besides this ancient Odin, there was a more modern, semi-his- 
torical personage of the same name, to whom all the virtues, 
powers, and adventures of his predecessor have Historical 
been attributed. He was the chief of the yEsir, ° din ' 

inhabitants of Asia Minor, who, sore pressed by the Romans, 
and threatened with destruction or slavery, left their native land 
about 70 B.C., and migrated into Europe. This Odin is said 
to have conquered Russia, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and 
Sweden, leaving a son on the throne of each conquered country. 
He also built the town of Odenso. He was welcomed in 
Sweden by Gylfi, the king, who made him associate ruler, and 
allowed him to found the city of Sigtuna, where he built a 



44 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

temple and introduced a new system of worship. Tradition 
further relates that as his end drew near, this mythical Odin 
assembled his followers, publicly cut himself nine times in the 
breast with his spear, — a ceremony called " carving Geir odds," 
■ — and told them he was about to return to his native land 
Asgard, his old home, where he would await their coming, to 
share with him a life of feasting, drinking, and fighting. 

According to another account, Gym, having heard of the power 
of the ^Esir, the inhabitants of Asgard, and wishing to ascertain 
whether these reports were true, journeyed off to the south. He 
soon came to Odin's palace, where he was expected, and where 
he was deluded by the vision of three divinities, enthroned one 
above the other, and called Har, Iafn-har, and Thridi. The 
gatekeeper, Gangler, answered all his questions, gave him a long 
explanation of Northern mythology, which is recorded in the 
Younger Edda, and having finished his instructions, suddenly 
vanished with the palace amid a deafening noise. 

According to other very ancient poems, Odin's sons, Weldegg, 
Beldegg, Sigi, Skiold, Saeming, and Yngvi, became kings of 
East Saxony, West Saxony, Franconia, Denmark, Norway, and 
Sweden, and from them are descended the Saxons, Hengist and 
Horsa, and the royal families of the Northern lands. Still an- 
other version relates that Odin and Frigga had seven sons, who 
founded the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy. In the course of time this 
mysterious king was confounded with the Odin whose worship he 
introduced, and all his deeds were attributed to the god. 

Odin was worshiped in numerous temples, but especially in the 
great fane at Upsala, where the most solemn festivals were held, 
and where sacrifices were offered. The victim was generally a 
horse, but in times of pressing need human offerings were made, 
even the king being once offered up to avert a famine. 



Upsal's temple, where the North 

Saw Valhal's halls fair imag'd here on earth." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 



ODIN. 45 

The first toast at every festival here was drunk in his honor, 
and, besides the first of May, one day in every week was held 
sacred to him, and, from his Saxon name, Woden, was called 
Woden's day, whence the English word " Wednesday " has been 
derived. It was customary for the people to assemble at his 
shrine on festive occasions, to hear the songs of the scalds, who 
were rewarded for their minstrelsy by the gift of golden bracelets 
or armlets, which curled up at the ends and were called " Odin's 
serpents." 

There are but few remains of ancient Northern art now extant, 
and although rude statues of Odin were once quite common they 
have all disappeared, as they were made of wood — a perishable 
substance, which in the hands of the missionaries and especially 
of Olaf the Saint, the Northern iconoclast, was soon reduced to 

ashes. 

" There in the Temple, carved in wood, 
The image of great Odin stood." 

Saga of King Olaf (Longfellow). 

Odin himself is supposed to have given his people a code of 
laws whereby to govern their conduct, in a poem called Havamal, 
or the High Song, which forms part of the Edda. In this lay he 
taught the fallibility of man, the necessity for courage, temper- 
ance, independence, and truthfulness, respect for old age, hos- 
pitality, charity, and contentment, and gave instructions for the 
burial of the dead. 

" At home let a man be cheerful, 
And toward a guest liberal ; 
Of wise conduct he should be, 
Of good memory and ready speech ; 
If much knowledge he desires, 
He must often talk on what is good." 

Havamal (Thorpe's tr.). 



CHAPTER III. 

FRIGGA. 

Frigga or Frigg, daughter of Fiorgyn and sister of Jord, 

according to some mythologists, is considered by others as a 

The queen of daughter of Jord and Odin, whom she eventually 

the gods. married. This wedding caused such general re- 
joicing in Asgard, where the goddess was greatly beloved, that 
ever after it was customary to celebrate its anniversary with 
feast and song, and the goddess being declared patroness of 
marriage, her health was always proposed with that of Odin and 
Thor at wedding feasts. 

Frigga was goddess of the atmosphere, or rather of the clouds, 
and as such was represented as wearing either snow-white or dark 
garments, according to her somewhat variable moods. She was 
queen of the gods, and she alone had the privilege of sitting on the 
throne Hlidskialf, beside her august husband. From thence she, 
too, could look over all the world and see what was happening, 
and, according to our ancestors' declarations, she possessed the 
knowledge of the future, which, however, no one could ever pre- 
vail upon her to reveal, thus proving that Northern women could 
keep a secret inviolate. 

" Of me the gods are sprung; 
And all that is to come I know, but lock 
In my own breast, and have to none reveal'd." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

She was generally represented as a tall, beautiful, and stately 
woman, crowned with heron plumes, the symbol of silence or 

46 



FRIG G A. 47 

forgetfulness, and clothed in pure-white robes, secured at the 
waist by a golden girdle, from which hung a bunch of keys, the 
distinctive sign of the Northern housewife, whose special patron- 
ess she was said to be. Although she often appeared beside her 
husband, Frigga preferred to remain in her own palace, called 
Fensalir, the hall of mists or of the sea, where she diligently 
twirled her wheel or distaff, spinning golden thread or weaving 
long webs of bright-colored clouds. 

In order to perform this work she owned a marvelous jeweled 
spinning wheel or distaff, which at night shone brightly in the sky 
in the shape of a constellation, known in the North as Frigga's 
Spinning Wheel, while the inhabitants of the South called the 
same stars Orion's Girdle. 

To her hall Fensalir the gracious goddess invited all husbands 
and wives who had led virtuous lives on earth, so that they might 
enjoy each other's companionship even after death, and never 
be called upon to part again. 

" There in the glen, Fensalir stands, the house 
Of Frea, honor'd mother of the gods, 
And shows its lighted windows and the open doors." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Frigga was therefore considered the goddess of conjugal and 
motherly love, and was specially worshiped by married lovers 
and tender parents. This exalted office did not so entirely ab- 
sorb all her thoughts, however, that she had no time for other 
matters ; for we are told that she was very fond of dress, and when- 
ever she appeared before the assembled gods her attire was rich 
and becoming, and her jewels always chosen with much taste. 
This love of adornment once led her sadly astray, for, in her 
longing to possess some new jewel, she secretly purloined a piece 
of gold from a statue representing her husband, The stolen 
which had just been placed in his temple. The gold - 

stolen metal was intrusted to the dwarfs, with instructions to 
fashion a marvelous necklace for her use. This jewel, once 



4 8 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

finished, was so resplendent that it greatly enhanced her charms 
and even increased Odin's love for her. But when he discovered 
the theft of the gold he angrily summoned the dwarfs and bade 
them reveal who had dared to touch his statue. Unwilling to 
betray the queen of the gods, the dwarfs remained obstinately 
silent, and, seeing that no information could be elicited from them, 
Odin commanded that the statue should be placed above the 
temple gate, and set to work to devise runes which should endow 
it with the power of speech and enable it to denounce the thief. 
When Frigga heard these tidings she trembled with fear, and 
implored her favorite attendant, Fulla, to invent some means of 
protecting her from Allfather's wrath. Fulla, who was always 
ready to serve her mistress, immediately departed, and soon re- 
turned, accompanied by a hideous dwarf, who promised to pre- 
vent the statue from speaking if Frigga would only deign to smile 
graciously upon him. This boon having been granted, the dwarf 
hastened off to the temple, caused a deep sleep to fall upon the 
guards, and while they were thus unconscious, pulled the statue 
down from its perch and broke it to pieces, so that it could never 
betray Frigga's theft in spite of all Odin's efforts to give it the 
power of speech. 

Odin, discovering this sacrilege on the morrow, was very angry 
indeed ; so angry that he left Asgard and utterly disappeared, 
carrying away with him all the blessings which he had been wont 
to shower upon gods and men. According to some authorities, 
his brothers, as we have already seen, took advantage of his 
absence to assume his form and secure possession of his throne 
and wife ; but although they looked exactly like him they could 
not restore the lost blessings, and allowed the ice giants, or Jo- 
tuns, to invade the earth and bind it fast in their cold fetters. 
These wicked giants also pinched the leaves and buds till they all 
shriveled up, stripped the trees bare, shrouded the earth in a 
great white coverlet, and veiled it in impenetrable mists. 

But at the end of seven weary months the true Odin relented 
and returned, and when he saw all the evil that had been done 




FRIGGA. 



FRIGGA. 49 

he drove the usurpers away, forced the frost giants to beat a 
hasty retreat, released the earth from her icy bonds, and again 
showered all his blessings down upon her, cheering her with the 
light of his smile. 

As has already been seen, Odin, although god of wit and wis- 
dom, was sometimes outwitted by his wife Frigga, who, woman- 
like, was sure to obtain her will by some means. 0din 
On one occasion the divine pair were seated upon outwitted. 
Hlidskialf, gazing with interest upon the Winilers and Vandals, 
who were preparing for a battle which was to decide which people 
should henceforth have the supremacy. Odin gazed with satis- 
faction upon the Vandals, who were loudly praying to him for 
victory ; but Frigga watched the movements of the Winilers with 
more attention, because they had entreated her aid. She there- 
fore turned to Odin and coaxingly inquired whom he meant to 
favor on the morrow ; he, wishing to evade her question, de- 
clared he would not yet decide, as it was time for bed, but would 
give the victory to those upon whom his eyes first rested in the 
morning. 

This answer was shrewdly calculated, for Odin knew that his 
bed was so turned that upon waking he would face the Vandals, 
and he intended looking out from thence, instead of waiting until 
he had mounted his throne. But, although so cunningly con- 
trived, this plan was entirely frustrated by Frigga, who, divining 
his purpose, waited until he was sound asleep and then noiselessly 
turned his bed around so that he should face her favorites instead 
of his. Then she sent word to the Winilers to dress their women 
in armor and send them out in battle array at dawn, with their 
long hair carefully combed down over their cheeks and breasts. 

" Take thou thy women-folk, 
Maidens and wives : 
Over your ankles 
Lace on the white war-hose; 
Over your bosoms 
Link up the hard mail-nets ; 



50 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Over your lips 

Plait long tresses with cunning; — 
So war beasts full-bearded 
King Odin shall deem you, 
When off the gray sea-beach 
At sunrise ye greet him." 

The Longbeards' Saga (Charles Kingsley). 

These instructions were carried out with scrupulous exactness 
by the Winiler women, and when Odin awoke and sat up in bed 
early the next morning, his first conscious glance fell upon their 
armed host, and he exclaimed in surprise, " What Longbeards are 
those ? " (In German the ancient w r ord for long beards was 
Langobarden, which w T as the name used to designate the Lom- 
bards.) Frigga, upon hearing this exclamation, which she had 
foreseen, immediately cried out in triumph that Allfather had 
given them a new 7 name, and was in honor bound to follow the 
usual Northern custom and give them also a baptismal gift. 

" ' A name thou hast given them, 
Shames neither thee nor them, 
Well can they wear it. 
Give them the victory, 
First have they greeted thee ; 
Give them the victory, 
Yoke-fellow mine ! ' " 

The Longbeards' Saga (Charles Kingsley). 

Odin, seeing he had been so cleverly outwitted, gave them the 
victory, and in memory of this auspicious day the Winilers retained 
the name given by the king of the gods, who ever after watched 
over them with special care, and vouchsafed them many blessings, 
among others a home in the sunny South, on the fruitful plains of 
Lombardy. 

Frigga had, as her own special attendants, a number of beau- 
tiful maidens, among whom were Fulla (Volla), her sister, accord- 
ing to some authorities, to whom she intrusted her jewel casket. 
Fulla always presided over her mistress's toilet, was privileged to put 



FRIGGA. 5 i 

on her golden shoes, attended her everywhere, was her confidante 
and adviser, and often told her how best to help the mortals who 
implored her aid. Fulla was very beautiful in- 
deed, and had long golden hair, which she wore 
flowing loose over her shoulders, restrained only by a golden 
circlet or snood. As her hair was emblematic of the golden 
grain, this circlet represented the binding of the sheaf. Fulla 
was also known as Abundia, or Abundantia, in some parts of 
Germany, where she was considered the symbol of the fullness 
of the earth. 

Hlin, Frigga's second attendant, was the goddess of consola- 
tion, sent out to kiss away the tears of mourners and pour balm 
into hearts wrung by grief. She also listened with ever-open 
ears to the prayers of mortals, repeated them to her mistress, 
and advised her at times how best to answer them and give the 
desired relief. 

Gna was Frigga's swift messenger, who, mounted upon her 
fleet steed Hofvarpnir (hoof thrower), traveled with marvelous 
rapidity through fire and air, over land and sea, and 

Gna. 

was therefore considered the personification of the 
refreshing breeze. Darting thus to and fro, Gna saw all that was 
happening upon earth, and told her mistress all she knew. On 
one occasion, as she was passing over Hunaland, she saw King 
Rerir, a lineal descendant of Odin, sitting mournfully by the 
shore, bewailing his childlessness. The queen of heaven, who 
was also goddess of childbirth, upon hearing this took an apple 
(the emblem of fruitfulness) from her private store, gave it to 
Gna, and bade her carry it to the king. With the rapidity of 
the element she personified, Gna darted away, passed over Rerir's 
head, and dropped her apple into his lap with a radiant smile. 

" ' What flies up there, so quickly driving past? ' 
Her answer from the clouds, as rushing by : 
1 I fly not, nor do drive, but hurry fast, 
Hoof flinger swift through cloud and mist and sky.' " 

Asgard and the Gods (Wagner-Macdowall). 



52 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

The king, after pondering for a moment upon the meaning of 
this sudden apparition and gift, returned home, his heart beating 
high with hope, gave the apple to his wife to eat, and to his in- 
tense joy was soon no longer childless, for his wife bore him a son, 
Volsung, the great Northern hero, who became so famous that 
he gave his name to all his race. 

Besides the three above-mentioned attendants, Frigga also had 
in her train the mild and gracious maiden Lofn 

Lofn. 

(praise or love), whose duty it was to remove all 
obstacles from the path of lovers. 

" My lily tall, from her saddle bearing, 
I led then forth through the temple, faring 
To th' altar-circle where, priests among, 
Lofh's vows she took with unfalt'ring tongue." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

Vjofn's duty was to incline obdurate hearts to love, to maintain 
peace and concord among mankind, and to reconcile quarreling 
husbands and wives. Syn (truth) guarded the door of Frigga's 
palace, refusing to open it to those who were not allowed to come 
in. When she had once shut the door upon a would-be intruder 
there was no appeal which would avail to change her decision. 
She therefore presided over all tribunals and trials, and whenever 
a thing was to be vetoed the usual formula was to declare that 
Syn was against it. 

Gefjon was also one of the maidens in Frigga's palace, and to 
her were intrusted all those who died virgins, whom she received 
and made happy forever. According to some 
mythologists, Gefjon did not always remain a vir- 
gin herself, but married one of the giants, by whom she had four 
sons. This same tradition goes on to declare that Odin sent her 
ahead of him to visit Gym, King of Sweden, and beg for some 
land which she might call her own. The king, amused at her re- 
quest, promised her as much land as she could plow around in 
one day and night. Gefjon, nothing daunted, changed her four 



FRIG G A. 53 

sons into oxen, harnessed them to a plow, and began to cut a 
furrow so wide and deep that the king and his courtiers were 
amazed. But Gefjon continued her work without giving any 
signs of fatigue, and when she had plowed all around a large 
piece of land forcibly wrenched it away, and made her oxen drag 
it down into the sea, where she made it fast and called it Seeland. 

u Gefjun drew from Gylfi, 
Rich in stored up treasure, 
The land she joined to Denmark. 
Four heads and eight eyes bearing, 
While hot sweat trickled down them, 
The oxen dragged the reft mass 
That formed this winsome island." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

As for the hollow she left behind her, it was quickly filled with 
water and formed a lake, at first called Logrum (the sea), but 
now known as Malar, whose every indentation corresponds with 
the headlands of Seeland. Gefjon then married Skiold, one of 
Odin's sons, and became the ancestress of the royal Danish race 
of Skioldungs, dwelling in the city of Hleidra or Lethra, which 
she founded, and which became the principal place of sacrifice 
for the heathen Danes. 

Eira, also Frigga's attendant, was considered a most skillful 
physician. She gathered simples all over the earth to cure both 
wounds and diseases, and it was her province to 
teach her science to women, who were the only 
ones to practice medicine among the ancient nations of the North. 

" Gaping wounds are bound by Eyra." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

Vara heard all oaths and punished perjurers, while she rewarded 
those who faithfully kept their word. Then there were also Vor 
(faith), who knew all that was to occur throughout the world, and 
Snotra, goddess of virtue, who had mastered every kind of study. 
With such a band of followers it is no wonder that Frigga was 



54 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

considered an influential goddess ; but in spite of the prominent 
place she occupied in Northern religion, she had no special temple 
or shrine, and was but little worshiped except in company with 
Odin. 

While Frigga was not known by this name in southern Ger- 
many, there were other goddesses worshiped there, whose attributes 
were so exactly like hers, that they were evidently the same, al- 
though they bore very different names in the various provinces. 
Among them was the fair goddess Holda (Hulda or Frau Holle) 
who graciously dispensed many rich gifts, and as 

Holda. 

she presided over the weather, the people were wont 
to declare when the snowflakes fell that Frau Holle was shaking 
her bed, and when it rained, that she was washing her clothes, 
often pointing to the white clouds as her linen which she had put 
out to bleach. When long gray strips of clouds drifted across the 
sky they said she was weaving, for she too was supposed to be a 
very diligent weaver, spinner, and housekeeper. It is said she 
gave flax to mankind and taught them how to use it, and in Tyrol 
the following story is told about the way in which she bestowed 
this invaluable gift : 

There was once a peasant who daily left his wife and children 
down in the valley to take his sheep up the mountain to pasture ; 
Discovery of an d as ne watched his flock graze on the mountain 
flax - side, he often had the opportunity to use his cross- 

bow and bring down a chamois, whose flesh furnished his larder 
with food for many a day. 

While pursuing some fine game one day he saw it disappear be- 
hind a bowlder, and when he came to the spot, he was amazed 
to see a doorway in the neighboring glacier, for in the excite- 
ment of the pursuit he had climbed higher and higher until he 
was now on top of the mountain, where glittered the everlasting 
snow. 

The shepherd boldly passed through the open door, and soon 
found himself in a wonderful jeweled and stalactite-hung cave, 
in the center of which stood a beautiful woman, clad in silvery 



FRIGGA. 55 

robes, and attended by a host of lovely maidens crowned with 
Alpine roses. In his surprise, the shepherd sank to his knees, 
and as in a dream heard the queenly central figure bid him choose 
anything he saw to carry away with him. Although dazzled by 
the glow of the precious stones around him, the shepherd's eyes 
constantly reverted to a little nosegay of blue flowers which the 
gracious apparition held in her hand, and he now timidly prof- 
fered a request that it might become his. Smiling with pleasure, 
Holda, for it was she, gave it to him, telling him he had chosen 
wisely and would live as long as the flowers did not droop and 
fade. Then giving the shepherd a measure of seed which she 
told him to sow in his field, the goddess bade him begone ; and 
as the thunder pealed and the earth shook, the poor man found 
himself out upon the mountain side once more, and slowly 
wended his way home to tell his adventure to his wife and show 
her the lovely blue flowers and the measure of seed. 

The woman reproached her husband bitterly for not having 
brought some of the precious stones which he so glowingly de- 
scribed, instead of the blossoms and seed ; nevertheless the man 
sowed the latter, and often lingered near the field at nightfall to 
see his new crop grow, for to his surprise the measure had supplied 
seed enough for several acres. 

Soon the little green shoots began to appear, and one moon- 
light night, while the peasant was gazing upon them, wondering 
what kind of grain they would produce, he saw a mistlike form 
hover above the field, with hands outstretched as if in blessing. 
At last the field blossomed, and countless little blue flowers 
opened their calyxes to the golden sun. When the flowers 
had withered and the seed was ripe, Holda came once more to 
teach the peasant and his wife how to harvest the flax stalks and 
spin, weave, and bleach the linen they produced. Of course all the 
people of the neighborhood were anxious to purchase both linen 
and flaxseed, and the peasant and his wife soon grew very rich 
indeed, for while he plowed, sowed, and harvested, she spun, 
wove, and bleached her linen. When the man had lived to a 



56 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

good old age and seen his grandchildren and great grandchildren 
grow up around him, he noticed that his carefully treasured 
bouquet, whose flowers had remained fresh for many a year, had 
wilted and died. 

Knowing that his time had come and that he too must soon die, 
the peasant climbed the mountain once more, came to the gla- 
cier, and found the doorway which he had long vainly sought. 
He vanished within, and was never seen or heard of again, for the 
legend states that the goddess took him under her care, and bade 
him live in her cave, where his every wish was gratified. 

According to a mediaeval tradition, Holda dwelt in a cave in 
the Horselberg, in Thuringia, where she was known as Frau 
Venus, and was considered as an enchantress who lured mortals 
into her realm, where she detained them forever, steeping their 
senses in all manner of sensual pleasures. The most famous of her 
victims is doubtless Tannhauser, who, anxious to 
save his soul, escaped from her power and hastened 
to Rome to confess his sins and seek absolution. But the pope, 
hearing that he had been in the company of one of the heathen 
goddesses, whom the priests taught were nothing but demons, 
declared that the knight could no more hope for pardon than to 
see his staff bear buds and bloom. 

<e Hast thou within the nets of Satan lain ? 
Hast thou thy soul to her perdition pledged? 
Hast thou thy lip to Hell's Enchantress lent, 
To drain damnation from her reeking cup? 
Then know that sooner from the withered staff 
That in my hand I hold green leaves shall spring, 
Than from the brand in hell-fire scorched rebloom 
The blossoms of salvation." 

Tannhauser (Owen Meredith). 

Crushed with grief at this sentence, Tannhauser fled, and find- 
ing no rest, returned to the Horselberg, where he reentered the 
cave in spite of the entreaties of the German mentor, the faithful 
Eckhardt. He had no sooner disappeared, however, than the 






*? 






r * 








A \ 





Ib^wa*, t 







EASTRE or OSTARA. 



FRIGGA. 57 

pope's messengers arrived, proclaiming that he was pardoned, for 
the withered staff had miraculously bloomed, proving to all that 
there was no sin too heinous to be pardoned, providing repent- 
ance were sincere. 

" Dashed to the hip with travel, dewed with haste, 
A flying post, and in his hand he bore 
A withered staff o'erflourished with green leaves ; 
Who, — followed by a crowd of youth and eld, 
That sang to stun with sound the lark in heaven, 
' A miracle ! a miracle from Rome ! 
Glory to God that makes the bare bough green ! ' — 
Sprang in the midst, and, hot for answer, asked 
News of the Knight Tannhauser." 

Tannhauser (Owen Meredith). 

This same Holda was also considered the owner of a magic 
fountain called Quickborn, which rivaled the famed fountain of 
youth, and of a chariot in which she rode from place to place, in- 
specting her domain. This wagon having once suffered damage, 
the goddess bade a wheelwright repair it, and when he had fin- 
ished told him to keep the chips as his pay. The man, indignant 
at such a meager reward, kept only a very few ; but to his sur- 
prise found them on the morrow changed to solid gold. 

" Fricka, thy wife — 
This way she reins her harness of rams. 
Hey ! how she whirls 
The golden whip ; 
The luckless beasts 
Unboundedly bleat ; 
Her wheels wildly she rattles; 
Wrath is lit in her look." 

Wagner (Forman's tr.). 

The Saxon goddess Eastre, or Ostara, goddess of spring, whose 
name has survived in the English word Easter, is also identical 
with Frigga, for she too is considered goddess of the earth, or 
rather of Nature's resurrection after the long death of winter. 



/* 



58 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

This gracious goddess was so dearly loved by the old Teu- 
tons, that even after Christianity had been introduced they still 
retained a pleasant recollection of her, utterly 
goddess of refused to have her degraded to the rank of a 

spring. . . . . 

demon, like many of their other divinities, and 
transferred her name to their great Christian feast. It had long 
been customary to celebrate this day by the exchange of presents 
of colored eggs, for the egg is the type of the beginning of life ; 
so the early Christians continued to observe this rule, declaring, 
however, that the egg is also symbolical of the resurrection. In va- 
rious parts of Germany, stone altars can still be seen, which are 
known as Easter-stones, because they were dedicated to the fair 
goddess Ostara. They were crowned with flowers by the young 
people, who danced gaily around them by the light of great bon- 
fires, — a species of popular games kept up until the middle of 
the present century, in spite of the priests' denunciations and of 
the repeatedly published edicts against them. 

In other parts of Germany, Frigga, Holda, or Ostara is known 
by the name of Brechta, Bertha, or the White Lady. She is 
Bertha the ^ est known under this title in Thuringia, where she 
White Lady was SU pp sed to dwell in a hollow mountain, keep- 
ing watch over the Heimchen, the souls of unborn children, and 
of those who died unbaptized. Here Bertha watched over agri- 
culture, caring for the plants, which her infant troop watered 
carefully, for each babe was supposed to carry a little jar for that 
express purpose. As long as the goddess was duly respected and 
her retreat unmolested, she remained where she was ; but tradition 
relates that she once left the country with her infant train drag- 
ging her plow, and settled elsewhere to continue her kind minis- 
trations. Bertha is the legendary ancestress of several noble 
families, and she is supposed to be the same as the industrious 
queen of the same name, the mythical mother of Charlemagne, 
whose era has become proverbial, for in speaking of the golden 
age in France and Germany it is customary to say, " in the days 
when Bertha spun." 



FRIGGA. 59 

As this Bertha is supposed to have developed a very large and 
flat foot, from continually pressing the treadle of her wheel, she 
is often represented in mediaeval art as a woman with a splay 
foot, and hence known as la reine pedauque. 

As ancestress of the imperial house of Germany, the White 
Lady is supposed to appear in the palace before a death or mis- 
fortune in the family, and this superstition is still so rife in Ger- 
many, that the newspapers in 1884 contained the official' report 
of a sentinel, who declared that he had seen her flit past him in 
one of the palace corridors. 

As Bertha was so renowned for her spinning, she naturally was 
regarded as the special patroness of that branch of female indus- 
try, and was said to flit through the streets of every village, at 
nightfall, during the twelve nights between Christmas and Jan- 
uary 6th, peering into every window to ascertain whether the work 
were all done. 

The maidens whose work had all been carefully performed 
were rewarded by a present of one of her own golden threads or 
a distaff full of extra-fine flax ; but wherever a careless spinner 
was found, her wheel was broken, her flax soiled, and if she had 
failed to honor the goddess by eating plenty of the cakes baked 
at that epoch of the year, she was cruelly punished. 

In Mecklenburg, this same goddess is known as Frau Gode, or 
Wode, the female form of Wuotan or Odin, and her appearance 
is always considered the harbinger of great prosperity. She is 
also supposed to be a great huntress, and to lead the Wild Hunt, 
mounted upon a white horse, her attendants being changed into 
hounds and all manner of wild beasts. 

In Holland she was called Vrou-elde, and from her the Milky 
Way is known by the Dutch as Vrou-elden-straat ; while in parts 
of northern Germany she was called Nerthus (Mother Earth). 
Her sacred car was kept on an island, presumably Riigen, where 
the priests guarded it carefully until she appeared to take a yearly 
journey throughout her realm and bless the land. The goddess 
then sat in this car, which was drawn by two cows, her face 



60 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

completely hidden by a thick veil, respectfully escorted by her 
priests. The people seeing her pass did her homage by ceasing 
all warfare, laid aside their weapons, donned festive attire, and 
began no quarrel until the goddess had again retired to her sanc- 
tuary. Then both car and goddess were bathed in a secret lake 
(the Schwartze See in Riigen), which swallowed up the slaves 
who had assisted at the bathing, and once more the priests re- 
sumed- their watch over the sanctuary and grove of Nerthus or 
Hlodyn, to await her next apparition. 

In Scandinavia, this goddess was also known as Huldra, 
and boasted of a train of attendant wood nymphs, who some- 
times sought the society of mortals, to enjoy a dance upon the 
village green. They could always be detected, however, by the 
tip of a cow's tail which trailed from beneath their long snow- 
white garments. These Huldra folk were the special protectors 
of the herds of cattle on the mountain sides, and were said to sur- 
prise the lonely traveler, at times, by the marvelous beauty of the 
melodies they sang to beguile their labors. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THOR. 



According to some mythologists, Thor, or Donar, is the son 
of Jord (Erda), and of Odin, but others state that his mother was 
Frigga, queen of the gods. This child was very remarkable for 
his great size and strength, and very soon after his birth amazed 
the assembled gods by playfully lifting and throwing about ten 
loads of bear skins. Although generally good tempered, Thor 
occasionally flew into a terrible rage, and as he was very danger- 
ous under these circumstances, his mother, unable to control him, 
sent him away from home and intrusted him to the care of Ving- 
nir (the winged), and of Hlora (heat). These foster parents, who 
are also considered as the personification of sheet Thor > s f os ter 
lightning, soon managed to control their trouble- parents, 
some charge, and brought him up so wisely, that all the gods were 
duly grateful for their kind offices. Thor himself, recognizing 
all he owed them, assumed the names of Vingthor and Hlorridi, 
by which he is also known. 

" Cry on, Vingi-Thor, 
With the dancing of the ring-mail and the smitten shields of war." 

Sigurd the Volsung (William Morris). 

Having attained his full growth and the age of reason, Thor 
was admitted in Asgard among the other gods, where he occupied 
one of the twelve seats in the great judgment hall. He was also 
given the realm of Thrud-vang or Thrud-heim, where he built a 
wonderful palace called Bilskirnir (lightning), the most spacious 

61 



62 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

in all Asgard. It contained five hundred and forty halls for the 
accommodation of the thralls, who after death were welcomed to 
his home, where they were treated as well as their masters in Val- 
halla, for Thor was the patron god of the peasants and lower classes. 

" Five hundred halls 
And forty more, 
Methinketh, hath 
Bowed Bilskirnir. 
Of houses roofed 
There's none I know 
My son's surpassing." 

S^emund's Edda (Percy's tr.). 

As he was god of thunder, Thor alone was never allowed to pass 
over the wonderful bridge Bifrost, lest he should set it aflame by 
the heat of his presence ; and when he daily wished to join his 
fellow gods by the Urdar fountain, under the shade of the sacred 
tree Yggdrasil, he was forced to make his way thither on foot, 
wading through the rivers Kormt and Ormt, and the two streams 
Kerlaug, to the trysting place. 

Thor, who was honored as the highest god in Norway, came 
second in the trilogy of all the other countries, and was called 
" old Thor," because he is supposed by some mythologists to have 
belonged to an older dynasty of gods, and not on account of his 
actual age, for he was represented and described as a man in his 
prime, tall and well formed, with muscular limbs and bristling 
red hair and beard, from which, in moments of anger, the sparks 
fairly flew. 

" First, Thor with the bent brow, 

In red beard muttering low, 

Darting fierce lightnings from eyeballs that glow, 
Comes, while each chariot wheel 
Echoes in thunder peal, 

As his dread hammer shock 

Makes Earth and Heaven rock, 
Clouds rifting above, while Earth quakes below." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 



THOR. 63 

The Northern races further adorned him with a crown, on 
each point of which was either a glittering star, or a steadily 
burning flame, so that his head was ever surrounded by a kind 
of halo of fire, his own element. 

Thor was the proud possessor of a magic hammer called Miol- 
nir (the crusher) which he hurled at his enemies, Thor's 

the frost giants, with destructive power, and which hammer, 
possessed the wonderful property of always returning to his hand, 
however far away he might hurl it. 



y 



" I am the Thunderer! 
Here in my Northland, 
My fastness and fortress, 
Reign I forever ! 

" Here amid icebergs 
Rule I the nations; 
This is my hammer, 
Miolnir the mighty; 
Giants and sorcerers 
Cannot withstand it ! " 

Saga of King Olaf (Longfellow). 

As this huge hammer, the emblem of the thunderbolts, was 
generally red hot, the god had an iron gauntlet called Iarn-greiper, 
which enabled him to grasp it firmly and hurl it very far, his 
strength, which was already remarkable, being always doubled 
when he wore his magic belt called Megin-giord. 

" This is my girdle : 
Whenever I brace it, 
Strength is redoubled ! " 

Saga of King Olaf (Longfellow). 

Thor's hammer was considered so very sacred by the ancient 
Northern people, that they were wont to make the sign of the 
hammer, as the Christians later taught them to make the sign of 
the cross, to ward off all evil influences, and to secure many 
blessings. The same sign was also made over the newly born 



64 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

infant when water was poured over its head and a name given 
it. The hammer was used to drive in boundary stakes, which it 
was considered sacrilegious to remove, to hallow the threshold of 
a new house, to solemnize a marriage, and, lastly, to consecrate 
the funeral pyre upon which the bodies of heroes were burned, 
together with their weapons and steeds, and, in some cases, with 
their wives and dependents. 

In Sweden, Thor, like Odin, was supposed to wear a broad- 
brimmed hat, and hence the storm clouds in that country are 
known as Thor's hat, a name also given to one of the principal 
mountains in Norway. The rumble and roar of the thunder were 
called the roll of his chariot, for he alone among the gods never rode 
on horseback, but walked, or drove in a brazen chariot drawn by 
two goats, Tanngniostr (tooth cracker), and Tanngrisnr (tooth 
gnasher), from whose teeth and hoofs the sparks constantly flew. 

" Thou earnest near the next, O warrior Thor ! 
Shouldering thy hammer, in thy chariot drawn, 
Swaying the long-hair'd goats with silver'd rein." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

When the god thus drove about from place to place, he was 
called Aku-thor, or Thor the charioteer, and in southern Germany 
the people, fancying a brazen chariot alone inadequate to furnish 
all the noise they heard, declared it was loaded with copper kettles, 
which rattled and clashed, and therefore often called him, with 
disrespectful familiarity, the kettle vender. 

Thor was twice married ; first to the giantess Iarnsaxa (iron 
stone), who bore him two sons, Magni (strength) and Modi 
Thor's (courage), both destined to survive their father and 

family. foe twilight of the gods, and rule over the new 

world which was to rise like a phenix from the ashes of the first. 
His second wife was Sif, the golden-haired, who also bore him 
two children, Lorride, and a daughter named Thrud, a young 
giantess renowned for her size and strength. By the well-known 
affinity of contrast, Thrud was wooed by the dwarf Alvis, whom 



THGR. 65 

she rather favored ; and one evening, when this suitor, who, being 
a dwarf, could not face the light of day, presented himself in 
Asgard to sue for her hand, the assembled gods did not refuse 
their consent. They had scarcely signified their approbation, 
however, when Thor, who had been absent, suddenly appeared, 
and casting a glance of contempt upon the puny lover, declared 
he would have to prove that his knowledge atoned for his small 
stature, before he could win his bride. 

To test Alvis's mental powers, Thor then questioned him in 
the language of the gods, Vanas, elves, and dwarfs, artfully pro- 
longing his examination until sunrise, when the first beam of 
light, falling upon the unhappy dwarf, petrified him. There he 
stood, an enduring example of the gods' power, and served as a 
warning to all other dwarfs who would fain have tested it. 

" Ne'er in human bosom 
Have I found so many 
Words of the old time. 
Thee with subtlest cunning 
Have I yet befooled. 
Above ground standeth thou, dwarf, 
By day art overtaken, 
Bright sunshine fills the hall." 

S^mund's Edda (Howitt's version). 

Sif, Thor's wife, was very vain of a magnificent head of long 
golden hair which covered her from head to foot like a brilliant 
veil ; and as she too was a symbol of the earth, her Sif the 
hair was said to represent the long grass, or the g° lden - hair ed- 
golden grain covering the Northern harvest fields. Thor was very 
proud of his wife's beautiful hair; imagine his dismay, there- 
fore, upon waking one morning, to find her all shorn, and as bald 
and denuded of ornament as the earth when the grain has all been 
garnered, and nothing but the stubble remains ! In his anger, 
Thor sprang to his feet, vowing he would punish the perpetrator 
of this outrage, whom he immediately and rightly conjectured to be 
Loki, the arch plotter, ever on the lookout for some evil deed to 
5 



66 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

perform. Seizing his hammer, Thor soon overtook Loki in spite 
of his attempting to evade him by changing form, caught him by 
the throat, and almost strangled him ere he yielded to his implor- 
ing signs, and slightly loosed his powerful grasp. As soon as 
Loki could catch his breath, he implored forgiveness, but all his 
entreaties were vain, until he promised to procure for Sif a new 
head of hair, as beautiful as the first, and as luxuriant in growth. 

"And thence for Sif new tresses I'll bring 
Of gold, ere the daylight's gone, 
So that she shall liken a field in spring, 
With its yellow-flowered garment on." 

The Dwarfs, Oehlenschlager (Pigott's tr.). 

Thor, hearing this, consented to let the traitor go ; so Loki 
rapidly crept down into the bowels of the earth, where Svart-alfa- 
heim was situated, to beg the dwarf Dvalin to fashion not only 
the precious hair, but a present for Odin and Frey, whose anger 
he wished to disarm. 

The dwarf soon made the spear Gungnir, which never failed 
in its aim, and the ship Skidbladnir, which, always wafted by favor- 
able winds, could sail through the air as well as on the water, and 
was so elastic, that although it could contain the gods and all 
their steeds, it could be folded up into the very smallest compass 
and thrust in one's pocket. Lastly, he spun the very finest 
golden thread, from which he fashioned the required hair for Sif, 
declaring that as soon as it touched her head it would grow fast 
there and become alive. 

" Though they now seem dead, let them touch but her head, 
Each hair shall the life-moisture fill ; 
Nor shall malice nor spell henceforward prevail 
Sifs tresses to work aught of ill." 

The Dwarfs, Oehlenschlager (Pigott's tr.). 

Loki was so pleased with these proofs of the dwarfs' skill that 
he declared the son of Ivald was the most clever of smiths — 
words which were overheard by Brock, another dwarf, who ex- 



THOR. 67 

claimed that he was sure his brother Sindri could produce three 
objects which would surpass those which Loki held, not only in 
intrinsic value, but also in magical properties. Loki immediately- 
challenged the dwarf to show his skill, wagering his head against 
Brock's on the result of the undertaking. 

Sindri, apprised of the wager, accepted Brock's offer to blow 
the bellows, warning him, however, that he must work persistently 
if he wished to succeed ; then he threw some gold in the fire, and 
went out to bespeak the favor of the hidden powers. During his 
absence Brock diligently plied the bellows, while Loki, hoping to 
make him fail, changed himself into a gadfly and cruelly stung 
his hand. In spite of the pain, the dwarf did not let go, and when 
Sindri returned, he drew out of the fire an enormous wild boar, 
called Gullin-bursti, on account of its golden bristles, which had 
the power of radiating light as he flitted across the sky, for he 
could travel through the air with marvelous velocity. 

" And now, strange to tell, from the roaring fire 
Came the golden-haired Gullinborst, 
To serve as a charger the sun-god Frey, 
Sure, of all wild boars this the first." 

The Dwarfs, Oehlenschlager (Pigott's tr.). 

This first piece of work successfully completed, Sindri flung 
some more gold on the fire and bade his brother blow, ere he 
again went out to secure magic assistance. This time Loki, still 
disguised as a gadfly, stung the dwarf on his cheek ; but in spite 
of the pain Brock worked on, and when Sindri returned, he tri- 
umphantly drew out of the flames the magic ring Draupnir, the 
emblem of fertility, from which eight similar rings dropped every 
ninth night. 

" They worked it and turned it with wondrous skill, 
Till they gave it the virtue rare, 
That each thrice third night from its rim there fell 
Eight rings, as their parent fair." 

The Dwarfs, Oehlenschlager (Pigott's tr.). 



68 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Now a lump of iron was cast in the flames, and with a new 
caution not to forfeit their success by inattention, Sindri passed 
out, leaving Brock to ply the bellows and wrestle with the gadfly, 
which this time stung him above the eye until the blood began 
to flow in such a stream, that it prevented his seeing what he was 
doing. Hastily raising his hand for a second, Brock dashed aside 
the stream of blood ; but short as was the interruption, Sindri 
uttered an exclamation of disappointment when he drew his work 
out of the fire, for the hammer he had fashioned had too short a 
handle. 

" Then the dwarf raised his hand to his brow for the smart, 
Ere the iron well out was beat, 
And they found that the haft by an inch was too short, 
But to alter it then 'twas too late." 

The Dwarfs, Oehlenschlager (Pigott's tr. ). 

Notwithstanding this mishap, Brock was so sure of winning 
the wager that he did not hesitate to present himself before the 
gods in Asgard, gave Odin the ring Draupnir, Frey the boar 
Gullin-bursti, and Thor the hammer Miolnir, whose power none 
could resist. 

Loki immediately gave the spear Gungnir to Odin, the ship 
Skidbladnir to Frey, and the golden hair to Thor ; but although 
the latter immediately grew upon Sif's head and was unanimously 
declared more beautiful than her own locks had ever been, the 
gods decreed that Brock had won the wager, for the hammer 
Miolnir, in Trior's hands, would prove invaluable against the frost 
giants on the last day. 

" And at their head came Thor, 
Shouldering his hammer, which the giants know." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Wishing to save his head, Loki fled, but was soon overtaken 
by Thor, who brought him back and handed him over to Brock, 
telling him, however, that although Loki's head was rightfully 
his, he must not touch his neck. Thus hindered from obtaining 




I 









J 



THOR. 



THOK. 69 

full vengeance, the dwarf tried to sew Loki's lips together, but, as 
his sword would not pierce them, he was obliged to borrow his 
brother's awl. How r ever, Loki, after enduring the gods' gibes in 
silence for a little while, managed to cut the string and was soon 
as loquacious as ever. 

In spite of his redoubtable hammer, Thor was never consid- 
ered as the injurious god of the storm, who destroyed peaceful 
homesteads and ruined the harvest by sudden hail storms and 
cloud bursts, for the Northerners fancied he hurled it only against 
ice giants and rocky walls, reducing the latter to powder to fer- 
tilize the earth and make it yield plentiful fruit to the tillers of 
the soil. 

In Germany, where the eastern storms are always cold and 
blighting, while the western bring warm rains and mild weather, 
Thor was supposed to journey always from west to east, to wage 
war against the evil spirits which would fain have enveloped the 
country in impenetrable veils of mist and have bound it in icy 
fetters. 

As the giants from Jotun-heim were continually sending out 
cold blasts of wind to nip the tender buds and hinder the growth 
of the flowers, Thor once made up his mind to go journey to 
and force them to better behavior. Accompanied Jotun-heim. 
by Loki he therefore set out in his chariot. After riding for 
a whole day the gods came at nightfall to the confines of the 
giant- world, where, seeing a peasant's hut, they resolved to spend 
the night and refresh themselves. 

Their host was hospitable but very poor, and Thor seeing that 
he would scarcely be able to supply the necessary food to satisfy 
his by no means small appetite, slew both his goats, which he 
cooked and began to eat, inviting his host and family to partake 
freely of the food thus provided, but cautioning them to throw 
all the bones, without breaking them, into the skins spread out 
on the floor. 

The peasant and his family ate heartily, but a youth called 
Thialfi, encouraged by Loki, ventured to break one of the bones 



yo MYTHS OF XORTHERN LANDS. 

and suck out the marrow, thinking his disobedience would never 
be detected. On the morrow, however, Thor, ready to depart, 
struck the goat skins with his hammer Miolnir, and immediately 
the goats sprang up as lively as before, except that one seemed 
somewhat lame. Perceiving in a second that his commands had 
been disregarded, Thor would have slain the whole family in his 
wrath. The culprit acknowledged his fault, however, and the 
peasant offered to compensate for the loss by giving the irate 
god not only his son Thialfi, but also his daughter Roskva, to 
serve him forever. 

Charging the man to take good care of the goats, which he 
left there until he should return, and bidding the young peasants 
accompany him, Thor now set out on foot with Loki, and after 
walking all day found himself at nightfall in a bleak and barren 
country, which was enveloped in an almost impenetrable gray 
mist. After seeking for some time, Thor saw through the fog 
the uncertain outline of what looked like a peculiar-shaped house. 
Its open portal was so wide and high that it seemed to take up 
all one side of the house. Entering and finding neither fire nor 
light, Thor and his companions flung themselves wearily down on 
the floor to sleep, but were soon disturbed by a peculiar noise, and 
a prolonged trembling of the ground beneath them. Fearing lest 
the main roof should fall during this earthquake, Thor and his 
companions took refuge in a wing of the building, where they 
soon fell sound asleep. At dawn, the god and his companions 
passed out, but they had not gone very far ere they saw the 
recumbent form of a sleeping giant, and perceived that the 
peculiar sounds which had disturbed their rest were produced by 
his snores. At that moment the giant awoke, arose, stretched 
himself, looked about him for his missing property, and a second 
later he picked up the object which Thor and his companions 
had mistaken in the darkness for a house. They then perceived 
with amazement that the wing in which they had all slept was 
the separate place in a mitten for the giant's great thumb ! 
Learning that Thor and his companions were on their way to 



THOR. 7 1 

Utgard, as the giants' realm was also called, Skrymir, the giant, 
proposed to be their guide ; and after walking with them all day, 
he offered them the provisions in his wallet ere he dropped 
asleep. But, in spite of strenuous efforts, neither Thor nor his 
companions could unfasten the knots which Skrymir had tied. 

" Skrymir's thongs 
Seemed to thee hard, 
When at the food thou couldst not get, 
When, in full health, of hunger dying." 

S.emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Angry because of his snoring, which kept them awake, Thor 
thrice dealt him fearful blows with his hammer. These strokes, 
instead of annihilating the monster, merely evoked 

. Utgard-loki. 

sleepy comments to the effect that a leaf, a bit 
of bark, or a twig from a bird's nest overhead had fallen upon 
his face. Early on the morrow, Skrymir left Thor and his com- 
panions, pointing out the shortest road to Utgard-loki's castle, 
which was built of great ice blocks, with huge glittering icicles 
as pillars. The gods, slipping between the bars of the great gate, 
presented themselves boldly before the king of the giants, Utgard- 
loki, who, recognizing them, immediately pretended to be greatly 
surprised at their small size, and expressed a wish to see for 
himself what they could do, as he had often heard their prowess 
vaunted. 

Loki, who had fasted longer than he wished, immediately 
declared he was ready to eat for a wager with any one. So the 
king ordered a great wooden trough full of meat to be brought 
into the hall, and placing Loki at one end and his cook Logi at 
the other, he bade them see which would win. Although Loki 
did wonders, and soon reached the middle of the trough, he still 
found himself beaten, for whereas he had picked the bones clean, 
his opponent had devoured both them and the trough. 

Smiling contemptuously, Utgard-loki said that it was evident 
they could not do much in the eating line, and so nettled Thor 



72 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

thereby, that he declared if Loki could not eat more than the 
voracious cook, he felt confident he could drain the biggest 
vessel in the house, such was his unquenchable thirst. Imme- 
diately a horn was brought in, and, Utgard-loki declaring that 
good drinkers emptied it at one draught, moderately thirsty per- 
sons at two, and small drinkers at three, Thor applied his lips to 
the rim. But, although he drank so deep that he thought he 
would burst, the liquid still came almost up to the rim when he 
raised his head. A second and third attempt to empty this horn 
proved equally unsuccessful. Thialfi then offered to run a race, 
and a young fellow named Hugi soon outstripped him, although 
he made remarkably good time. 

Thor next proposed to show his strength by lifting great 
weights, but when challenged to pick up the giant's cat, he 
tugged and strained, only to succeed in raising one paw from 
the floor, although he had taken the precaution to enhance his 
strength as much as possible by tightening his belt Megin-giord. 

" Strong is great Thor, no doubt, when Megingarder 
He braces tightly o'er his rock-firm loins." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

An attempt on his part to wrestle with Utgard-loki' s old nurse 
Elli, the only opponent deemed worthy of such a puny fellow, 
ended equally disastrously, and the gods, acknowledging they 
were beaten, were hospitably entertained. On the morrow they 
were escorted to the confines of Utgard, where the giant politely 
informed them that he hoped they would never call upon him again, 
as he had been forced to employ magic against them. He then 
went on to explain that he was the giant Skrymir, and that had 
he not taken the precaution to interpose a mountain between 
his head and Trior's blows, he would have been slain, as deep 
clefts in the mountain side testified to the god's strength. Next 
he informed them that Loki's opponent was Logi (wild fire) ; 
that Thialfi had run a race with Hugi (thought), than which no 
swifter runner exists ; that Trior's drinking horn was connected 



THOR. 73 

with the ocean, where his deep draughts had produced a percep- 
tible ebb ; that the cat was in reality the terrible Midgard snake 
encircling the world, which Thor had nearly pulled out of the 
sea ; and that Elli, his nurse, was old age, whom none can resist. 
Having finished these explanations and cautioned them never to 
return or he would defend himself by similar delusions, Utgard- 
loki vanished, and although Thor angrily brandished his ham- 
mer to destroy his castle, such a mist enveloped it that it could 
not be seen, and the thunder god was obliged to return to Thrud- 
vang without having accomplished his purpose, the extermination 
of the race of giants. 

" The strong-armed Thor 
Full oft against giant Jotunheim did wend, 
But spite his belt celestial, spite his gauntlets, 
Utgard-Loki still his throne retains; 
Evil, itself a force, to force yields never." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

As Odin was once dashing through the air on his eight-footed 
steed Sleipnir, he attracted the attention of the giant Hrungnir, 
who proposed a race, declaring he was sure his own Thor and 
steed Gullfaxi could rival Sleipnir in speed. In Hrungnir. 
the heat of the race, Hrungnir did not even notice in what direc- 
tion they were going, and, in the vain hope of overtaking Odin, 
urged his steed on to the very gates of Valhalla. Discovering 
where he was, the giant then grew pale with fear, for he knew he 
had jeopardized his life by venturing into the stronghold of the 
gods, his hereditary foes. 

The ^Esir, however, were too honorable to take even an enemy 
at such a disadvantage, and, instead of doing him any harm, 
asked him into their banqueting halls, where he proceeded to in- 
dulge in liberal potations of the heavenly mead set before him. 
He soon grew so excited that he began to boast of his power, de- 
claring he would come some day and take possession of Asgard, 
which he would destroy, as well as all the gods, excepting only 



74 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Freya and Sif, upon whom he gazed with an admiring, drunken 
leer. 

The gods, knowing he was not responsible, let him talk un- 
molested ; but Thor, coming home just then from one of his 
journeys, and hearing him propose to carry away his beloved Sif, 
flew into a terrible rage. He furiously brandished his hammer, 
intending to annihilate the boaster. This the gods would not per- 
mit, however, and they quickly threw themselves between the irate 
Thunderer and their guest, imploring the former to respect the 
sacred rights of hospitality, and not desecrate their peace-stead 
by shedding blood. 

Thor at last consented to bridle his wrath, providing the giant 
Hrungnir would appoint a time and place for a holmgang, as a 
Northern duel was generally called. Thus challenged, Hrungnir 
promised to meet Thor at Griottunagard, the confines of his 
realm, three days later, and departed somewhat sobered by the 
fright he had experienced. When his fellow giants heard how 
rash he had been, they chided him sorely ; but hearing he was to 
have the privilege of being accompanied by a squire, whom 
Thialfi would engage in fight, they proceeded to construct a crea- 
ture of clay, nine miles long, and proportionately wide, whom 
they called Mokerkialfi (mist wader). As they could find no 
human heart big enough to put in this monster's breast, they 
secured that of a mare, which, however, kept fluttering and quiv- 
ering with apprehension. The day of the duel arrived. Hrung- 
nir and his squire were on the ground awaiting the arrival of 
their respective opponents. The giant had not only a flint heart 
and skull, but also a shield and club of the same substance, and 
therefore deemed himself well-nigh invincible. But when he 
heard a terrible noise, and Thialfi came running up to announce 
his master's coming, he gladly followed the herald's advice and 
stood upon his shield, lest the thunder god should come up from 
the ground and attack him unprotected. 

A moment later, however, he saw his mistake, for, Avhile Thialfi 
attacked Mokerkialfi with a spade, Thor came rushing up and 



THOR. 7 5 

flung his hammer full at his opponent's head. Hrungnir, to 
ward off the blow, interposed his stone club, which was shivered 
into pieces, that flew all over the earth, supplying all the flint 
stones to be found, and one fragment sank deep in Thor's fore- 
head. As the god dropped fainting to the ground, his hammer 
crashed against the head of Hrungnir, who fell down dead beside 
him, in such a position that one of his ponderous legs was thrown 
over the recumbent god. 

" Thou now remindest me 
How I with Hrungnir fought, 
That stout-hearted Jotun, 
Whose head was all of stone ; 
Yet I made him fall 
And sink before me." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Thialfi, who, in the mean while, had disposed of the great clay 
giant with its cowardly mare's heart, now rushed to his master's 
rescue ; but all his efforts and those of the assembled gods, whom 
he quickly summoned, could not raise the pinioning leg. While 
they were standing there, helplessly wondering what they should 
do next, Thor's little son Magni came up. According to varying 
accounts, he was then only three days or three years old, but he 
quickly seized the giant's foot, and, unaided, set his father free, 
declaring that had he only been summoned sooner he would 
easily have disposed of both giant and squire. This exhibition 
of strength upon his part made the gods wonder greatly, and 
helped them to recognize the truth of the various predictions, 
which one and all declared that their descendants would be 
mightier than they, would survive them, and would rule in their 
turn over the new heaven and earth. 

To reward his son for his timely aid, Thor gave him the steed 
Gullfaxi (golden-maned), to which he had fallen heir by right of 
conquest, and Magni ever after rode this marvelous horse, which 
almost equaled the renowned Sleipnir in speed and endurance. 



76 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

After vainly trying to remove the stone splinter from his fore- 
head, Thor sadly returned home to Thrudvang, where Sif's loving 

Groa the efforts were equally unsuccessful. She therefore 

sorceress. resolved to send for Groa (green-making), a sor- 
ceress, noted for her skill in medicine and for the efficacy of her 
spells and incantations. Groa immediately signified her readi- 
ness to render every service in her power to the god who had so 
often benefited her, and solemnly began to recite powerful runes, 
under whose influence Thor felt the stone grow looser and looser. 
In his delight at the prospect of a speedy deliverance, Thor wished 
to reward the enchantress. Knowing that nothing could give 
greater pleasure to a mother than the prospect of seeing a long- 
lost child, he therefore told her he had recently crossed the Eliva- 
gar, or ice streams, to rescue her little son Orvandil (germ) from 
the frost giants' cruel power, and had succeeded in carrying him 
off in a basket. But, as the little rogue would persist in sticking 
one of his bare toes through a hole in the basket, it had been 
frost bitten, and Thor, accidentally breaking it off, had flung it 
up into the sky, where it shone as a star, known in the North as 
" Orvandil's Toe." 

Delighted with these tidings, the prophetess paused in her in- 
cantations to express her joy, but, having forgotten just where she 
left off, she was never able to continue her spell, and the flint 
stone remained imbedded in Thor's forehead, whence it could 
never be dislodged. 

Of course, as Thor's hammer always did him such good ser- 
vice, it was the most prized of all his possessions, and his dismay 
was very great when he awoke one morning and found it gone. 
His cry of anger and disappointment soon brought Loki to his 
side, and to him Thor confided the secret of his loss, declaring 
that were the giants to hear of it, they would soon attempt to 
storm Asgard and destroy the gods. 

" Wroth waxed Thor, when his sleep was flown, 
And he found his trusty hammer gone ; 



THOR. 7 7 

He smote his brow, his beard he shook, 
The son of earth 'gan round him look ; 
And this the first word that he spoke : 
1 Now listen what I tell thee, Loke ; 
Which neither on earth below is known, 
Nor in heaven above : my hammer's gone.' " 

Thrym's Quida (Herbert's tr.). 

Loki declared he would try to discover the thief and recover 
the hammer, if Freya would only lend him her falcon plumes, 
and immediately hastened off to Folkvang to borrow them. In 
the form of a bird he then winged his flight across the river Ifing, 
and over the barren stretches of Jotun-heim, where he shrewdly 
suspected the thief was to be found. There he Thor and 
saw Thrym, prince of the frost giants and god of Thrym. 
the destructive thunder storm, sitting alone on a hillside, and, 
artfully questioning him, soon learned that he had stolen the 
hammer, had buried it deep underground, and would never give 
it up unless Freya were brought to him, in bridal array, ready to 
become his wife. 

" I have the Thunderer's hammer bound 
Fathoms eight beneath the ground; 
With it shall no one homeward tread 
Till he bring me Freya to share my bed." 

Thrym's Quida (Herbert's tr.). 

Indignant at the giant's presumption, Loki returned to Thrud- 
vang, where Thor, hearing what he had learned, declared it 
would be well to visit Freya and try to prevail upon her to 
sacrifice herself for. the general good. But when the vEsir told 
the goddess of beauty what they wished her to do, she flew into 
such a passion .that even her necklace burst. She told them 
that she would never leave her beloved husband for any god, 
and much less to marry an ugly old giant and dwell in Jotun- 
heim, where all was dreary in the extreme, and where she would 
soon die of longing for the green fields and flowery meadows, in 
which she loved to roam. Seeing that further persuasions would 



78 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

be useless, Loki and Thor returned home and there devised an- 
other plan for recovering the hammer. By Heimdall's advice, 
Thor borrowed and reluctantly put on all Freya's clothes and her 
necklace, and enveloped himself in a thick veil. Loki, having 
attired himself as a handmaiden, then mounted with him in the 
goat-drawn chariot, to ride to Jotun-heim, where they intended 
to play the respective parts of the goddess of beauty and of her 
attendant. 

" Home were driven 
Then the goats, 
And hitched to the car ; 
Hasten they must — 
The mountains crashed, 
The earth stood in flames : 
Odin's son 
Rode to Jotun-heim." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

Thrym welcomed his guests at the palace door, overjoyed at 
the thought that he was about to secure undisputed possession 
of the goddess of beauty, for whom he had long sighed in vain. 
He quickly led them to the banquet hall, where Thor, the bride 
elect, almost disgraced himself by eating an ox, eight huge salmon, 
and all the cakes and sweets provided for the women, washing 
down these miscellaneous viands with two whole barrels of mead. 

The giant bridegroom watched these gastronomic feats with 
amazement, and was not even reassured when Loki confiden- 
tially whispered to him that the bride was so deeply in love with 
him that she had not been able to taste a morsel of food for 
more than eight days. Thrym then sought to kiss the bride, but 
drew back appalled at the fire of her glance, which Loki ex- 
plained as a burning glance of love. The giant's sister, claiming 
the usual gifts, was not even noticed ; so Loki again whispered 
to the wondering Thrym that love made people absent-minded. 
Intoxicated with passion and mead, which he, too, had drunk in 
liberal quantities, the bridegroom now bade his servants produce 



THOR. 79 

the sacred hammer to consecrate the marriage, and as soon as 
it was brought he himself laid it in the pretended Freya's lap. The 
next moment a powerful hand closed over the short handle, and 
the weapon, rapidly hurled by Thor, soon slew the giant, his sister, 
and all the invited guests. 

" ' Bear in the hammer to plight the maid ; 
Upon her lap the bruiser lay, 
And firmly plight our hands and fay.' 
The Thunderer's soul smiled in his breast ; 
When the hammer hard on his lap was placed, 
Thrym first, the king of the Thursi, he slew, 
And slaughtered all the giant crew." 

Thrym's Quida (Herbert's tr.). 

Leaving a smoking heap of ruins behind them, the gods then 
drove rapidly back to Asgard, where the borrowed garments were 
given back to Freya, and the ^Esir all rejoiced at the recovery of 
the. precious hammer. When next Odin glanced towards that 
part of Jotun-heim from the top of his throne Hlidskialf, he saw 
the ruins covered with tender green shoots, for Thor, having 
conquered his enemy, had taken possession of his land, which no 
longer remained barren and desolate as before, but brought forth 
fruit in abundance. 

Loki, in search of adventures, once borrowed Freya's falcon 
garb and flew off to another part of Jotun-heim, where he perched 
on top of the gables of Geirrod's house, and, gazing Thor and 
about him, soon attracted the attention of this Geirrod. 
giant, who bade one of his servants catch the bird. Amused at 
the fellow's clumsy attempts to secure him, Loki flitted about 
from place to place, only moving just as the giant was about to 
lay hands upon him, until, miscalculating his distance, he sud- 
denly found himself a captive. 

Geirrod, gazing upon the bird's bright eyes, shrewdly suspected 
that it was a god in disguise, and to force him to speak, locked 
him up in a cage, where he kept him for three whole months 
without food or drink. Conquered at last by hunger and thirst, 



8o MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Loki revealed his identity, and obtained his release by promising 
that he would induce Thor to visit Geirrod without his hammer, 
belt, or magic gauntlet. Loki then flew back to Asgard, and 
told Thor that he had been royally entertained, and that his 
host had expressed a strong desire to see the powerful thunder- 
god, of whom Loki had told him such wonderful tales. Flat- 
tered by this artful speech, Thor was soon brought to consent 
to a journey to Jotun-heim, and immediately set out, leaving his 
three marvelous weapons at home. He and Loki had not gone 
very far, however, ere they came to the house of the giantess 
Grid, one of Odin's many wives, who, seeing Thor disarmed, lent 
him her own girdle, staff, and glove, warning him to beware of 
treachery. Some time after leaving her, Thor and Loki came to 
the river Veimer, which the thunder-god, accustomed to wad- 
ing, coolly prepared to ford, bidding Loki and Thialfi cling fast 
to his belt if they would come safe across. 

In the middle of the stream, however, a sudden cloudburst 
and freshet overtook them ; the waters began to rise and roar, 
and although Thor leaned heavily upon his staff, he was almost 
swept away by the force of the raging current. 

" Wax not, Veimer, 
Since to wade I desire 
To the realm of the giants ! 
Know, if thou waxest, 
Then waxes my asamight 
As high as the heavens." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

Looking up the stream, Thor now became aware of the presence 
of Geirrod's daughter Gialp, and rightly suspected that she was the 
cause of the storm. He picked up a huge bowlder, which he flung 
at her, muttering that the best place to dam a river was at its 
source. The rock had the desired effect, for the giantess fled, 
the waters abated, and Thor, exhausted but safe, pulled himself 
up on the opposite bank by a little shrub, the mountain-ash or 
sorb, which has since been known as " Thor's salvation," and 



THOR. 8 1 

considered gifted with occult powers. After resting awhile the 
god resumed his journey ; but upon arriving at Geirrod's house 
he was so exhausted that he sank wearily down upon the only 
chair in sight. To his surprise, however, he felt it rise beneath 
him, and fearing lest he should be crushed against the rafters, he 
braced the borrowed staff against the ceiling and forced the chair 
downward with all his might. A terrible cracking, sudden cries, 
and moans of pain proved that he had broken the backs of the 
giant's daughters, Gialp and Greip, who had slipped under his 
chair and had treacherously tried to slay him. 

" Once I employed 
My asamight 
In the realm of giants, 
When Gialp and Greip, 
Geirrod's daughters, 
Wanted to lift me to heaven." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

Geirrod now challenged Thor to show his strength and skill, 
and without waiting for the preconcerted signal, flung a red-hot 
wedge at him. Thor, quick of eye and a practiced catcher, 
caught the missile with the giantess's iron glove, and hurled it 
back at his opponent. Such was the force of the god, that the 
missile passed, not only through the pillar behind which the giant 
had taken refuge, but through him and the wall of the house, and 
buried itself deep in the. earth without. 

Thor then marched up to the giant's corpse, which at the blow 
from his weapon had been changed into stone, and set it up in a 
conspicuous place, as a monument of his strength and of the 
victory he had won over his redoubtable foes, the mountain 
giants. 

Thor's name has been given to many of the places he was 
wont to frequent, such as the principal harbor of the Faroe 
Islands, and to families which claim to be de- worship of 
scended from him. It is still extant in such names Thor. 

as Thunderhill in Surrey, and in the family names of Thorburn 
6 



82 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

and Thorwaldsen, but is most conspicuous in the name of one of 
the days of the week, Thor's day or Thursday. 

" Over the whole earth 
Still is it Thor's day ! " 

Saga of King Olaf (Longfellow). 

Thor was considered a preeminently benevolent deity, and it 
was for that reason that he was so widely worshiped and that his 
temples arose at Moeri, Hlader, Godey, Gothland, Upsala, and 
other places, where the people never failed to invoke him for a 
favorable year at Yule-tide, his principal festival. It was cus- 
tomary on this occasion to burn a great log of oak, his sacred 
tree, as an emblem of the warmth and light of summer, which 
would soon come to drive away the darkness and cold of winter. 

Brides invariably wore red, Thor's favorite color, which was 
considered emblematical of love, and for the same reason betrothal 
rings in the North were almost always set with a red stone. 

Thor's temples and statues, like Odin's, were fashioned of 
wood, and the greater number of them were destroyed during the 
reign of King Olaf the Saint. According to ancient chronicles, 
this monarch forcibly converted his subjects. He was specially 
incensed against the inhabitants of a certain province, because 
they worshiped a rude image of Thor, which they decked with 
golden ornaments, and before which they set food every evening, 
declaring the god ate it, as no trace of it was left in the morning. 

The people, being called upon in 1030 to renounce this idol in 
favor of the true God, promised to consent if the morrow were 
cloudy ; but when after a whole night spent in ardent prayer, Olaf 
rapturously beheld a cloudy day, the obstinate people declared 
they were not yet convinced of his God's power, and would 
only believe if the sun shone on the following day. 

Once more Olaf spent the night in prayer, but at dawn his 
chagrin was great to see the sky overcast. Nevertheless, de- 
termined to gain his end he assembled the people near Thor's 
statue, and after secretly bidding his principal attendant smash 



THOR. 83 

the idol with his battle ax if the people turned their eyes away 
but for a moment, he began to address them. Suddenly, while 
all were listening to him, Olaf pointed to the horizon, where the 
sun was slowly breaking its way through the clouds, and exclaimed, 
" Behold our God ! " While the people one and all turned to 
see what he meant, the attendant broke the idol, and a host of 
mice and other vermin scattered on all sides. Seeing now that 
the statue was hollow, and that the food placed before their god 
had been devoured by noxious animals only, the people ceased 
to revere Thor, and definitely accepted the faith which King Olaf 
had so long and vainly pressed upon them. 



CHAPTER V. 

TYR. 

Tyr, Tiu, or Ziu was the son of Odin, and, according to dif- 
ferent mythologists, his mother was either Frigga, queen of the 
gods, or a beautiful giantess whose name is unknown, but who 
was a personification of the raging sea. He is the god of martial 
honor, and one of the twelve principal deities of Asgard. Al- 
though he appears to have had no special dwelling there, he was 
always welcome to Vingolf or Valhalla, and occupied one of the 
twelve thrones in the great council hall of Glads-heim. 

" The hall Glads-heim, which is built of gold ; 
Where are in circle ranged twelve golden chairs, 
And in the midst one higher, Odin's throne." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Tyr was regarded also as the god of courage and of war, and 
therefore frequently invoked by the various nations of the North, 
The god wno cr i e d to him as well as to Odin to obtain 
of war. victory. That he ranked next to Odin and Thor is 

proved by his name, Tiu, having been given to one of the days 
of the week, Tiu's day, which in modern English has become 
Tuesday. Under the name of Ziu, Tyr was the principal divinity 
of the Suabians, who originally called their capital, the modern 
Augsburg, Ziusburg. This people, venerating the god as they did, 
were wont to worship him under the emblem of a sword, his dis- 
tinctive attribute, and in his honor held great sword dances, where 
various figures were carried out. Sometimes the participants 
forming two long lines, crossed their swords, point upwards, and 



TYR. 85 

challenged the boldest among their number to take a flying lea}) 
over them. At other times the warriors joined their sword points 
closely together in the shape of a rose or wheel, and when this 
figure was complete invited their chief to stand on the navel 
thus formed of flat, shining steel blades, and then they bore him 
upon it through the camp in triumph. The sword point was 
further considered so sacred that it became customary to register 
oaths upon it. 

". . . Come hither, gentlemen, 
And lay your hands again upon my sword; 
Never to speak of this that you have heard, 
Swear by my sword." 

Hamlet (Shakespeare). 

A distinctive feature of the worship of this god among the Franks 
and some other Northern nations was that the priests called 
Druids or Godi offered up human sacrifices upon his altars, gen- 
erally cutting the bloody or spread eagle upon their victims, that 
is to say, making a deep incision on either side of the backbone, 
turning the ribs thus loosened inside out, and tearing out the 
viscera through the opening thus made. Of course only prisoners 
of war were treated thus, and it was considered a point of honor 
with north European races to endure this torture without a moan. 
These sacrifices were made upon rude stone altars called dolmens, 
which can still be seen in Northern Europe. As Tyr was con- 
sidered the patron god of the sword, it was deemed indispensable 
to engrave the sign or rune representing him upon the blade of 
every sword — an observance which the Edda enjoined upon all 
those who were desirous of obtaining victory. 

" Sig-runes thou must know, 
If victory {sigr) thou wilt have, 
And on thy sword's hilt rist them ; 
Some on the chapes, 
Some on the guard. 
And twice name the name of Tyr. " 

Lay of Sigdrifa (Thorpe's tr.). 



86 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Tyr was identical with the Saxon god Saxnot (from sax, a 
sword), and with Er, Heru, or Cheru, the chief divinity of the 
Cheruski, who also considered him god of the sun, and deemed 
his shining sword blade an emblem of its rays. 

" This very sword a ray of light 
Snatched from the Sun ! " 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

According to an ancient legend, Cheru's sword, which had 

been fashioned by the dwarfs, sons of Ivald — the same who had 

also made Odin's spear — was held very sacred by 

Tyr's sword. . . 

his people, to whose care he had intrusted it, de- 
claring that those who possessed it were sure to have the victory 
over their foes. But although carefully guarded in the temple, 
where it was hung so that it reflected the first beams of the 
morning sun, it suddenly and mysteriously disappeared one night. 
A Vala, druidess, or prophetess, consulted by the priests, revealed 
that the Norns had decreed that whoever wielded it would con- 
quer the world and come to his death by it ; but in spite of all 
entreaties she refused to tell who had taken it or where it might 
be found. Some time after this occurrence a tall and dignified 
stranger came to Cologne, where Vitellius, the Roman prefect, 
was feasting, called him away from his beloved dainties, gave him 
the sword, telling him it would bring him glory and renown, and 
hailed him as emperor. This cry was taken up by the assembled 
legions, and Vitellius, without making any personal effort to secure 
the honor, found himself elected Emperor of Rome. 

The new ruler, however, was so absorbed in indulging his 
taste for food and drink that he paid but little heed to the 
divine weapon. One day while leisurely making his way towards 
Rome he carelessly left it hanging in the antechamber to his 
apartments. A German soldier seized this opportunity to sub- 
stitute in its stead his own rusty blade. The besotted emperor 
went on, and was so busily engaged in feasting that he did not 
notice the exchange. When he arrived at Rome, he learned that 



TYR. 87 

the Eastern legions had named Vespasian emperor, and that he 
was even then on his way home to claim the throne. 

Searching for the sacred weapon to defend his rights, Vitellius 
now discovered the theft, and, overcome by superstitious fears, 
did not even attempt to fight. He crawled away into a dark 
corner of his palace, whence he was ignominiously dragged by 
the enraged populace to the foot of the Capitoline Hill. There 
the prophecy was duly fulfilled, for the German soldier, who had 
joined the opposite faction, coming along at that moment, cut off 
Vitellius' head with the sacred sword. 

The German soldier now changed from one legion to another, 
and traveled over many lands ; but wherever he and his sword 
were found, victory was assured. After winning great honor 
and distinction, this man, having grown old, retired from active 
service to the banks of the Danube, where he secretly buried his 
treasured weapon, building his hut over its resting place to guard 
it as long as he lived. But although implored, when he lay on his 
deathbed, to reveal where he had hidden it, he persistently refused 
to do so, saying that it would be found by the man who was des- 
tined to conquer the world, but that he would not be able to es- 
cape the curse. Years passed by. Wave after wave the tide of 
barbarian invasion swept over that part of the country, and last 
of all came the terrible Huns under the leadership of Attila, the 
" Scourge of God." As he passed along the river, he saw a peasant 
mournfully examining his cow's foot, which had been wounded 
by some sharp instrument hidden in the long grass, and when 
search was made the point of a buried sword was found sticking 
out of the soil. 

Attila, seeing the beautiful workmanship and the fine state of pres- 
ervation of this weapon, immediately exclaimed that it was Cheru's 
sword, and brandishing it above his head announced that he was 
about to conquer the world. Battle after battle was fought by 
the Huns, who, according to the Saga, were everywhere victori- 
ous, until Attila, weary of warfare, settled down in Hungary, 
taking to wife the beautiful Burgundian princess Ildico, whose 



65 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

father he had slain. This princess, resenting the murder of her 
kin and wishing to avenge it, took advantage of the king's state 
of intoxication upon his wedding night to secure possession of 
the divine sword, with which she slew him in his bed, once more 
fulfilling the prophecy uttered so many years before. 

The magic sword again disappeared for a long time, only to 
be unearthed once more and wielded by the Duke of Alva, 
Charles V.'s general, who shortly after won the victory of Miihlberg 
(1547). Since then nothing more has been heard of the sword 
of the god Cheru, in whose honor the Franks were wont to cele- 
brate yearly martial games ; but it is said that when the heathen 
gods were renounced in favor of Christianity, the priests trans- 
ferred many of their attributes to the saints, and that this sword 
became the property of the Archangel St. Michael, who has wielded 
it ever since. 

Tyr, whose name was synonymous with bravery and wisdom, 
was also considered by the ancient Northern people to have the 
white-armed Valkyrs, Odin's attendants, at his beck and call, and 
to designate the warriors whom they had best transfer to Valhalla 
to aid the gods on the last day. 

"The god Tyr sent 
Gondul and Skogul 
To choose a king 
Of the race of Ingve, 
To dwell with Odin 
In roomy Valhal." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

Tyr was generally spoken of and represented as one-armed, 
just as Odin was called one-eyed. This fact is explained in 
story of the various ways by different authorities; some claim 
wolf Fenns. ^ia.t ft wag b ecause ne could give the victory only 
to one side ; others, because a sword has but one blade. How- 
ever this may be, these explanations did not satisfy the ancients, 
who preferred to account for the fact by the following myth : 
Loki, the arch deceiver, went to Jotun-heim and secretly mar- 



^ TYR. 69 

ried the hideous giantess Angur-boda (anguish boding), who bore 
him three monstrous children — the wolf Fenris, Hel, the party- 
colored goddess of death, and Iormungandr, a terrible serpent. 
He kept the existence of these monsters secret as long as he could ; 
but they speedily grew so large that they could no longer remain 
confined in the cave where they had come to light. Odin, from 
the top of his throne Hlidskialf, soon became aware of their ex- 
istence, and also of the frightful rapidity with which they increased 
in size. Fearing lest the monsters, when they had gained a little 
more strength, should invade Asgard and destroy the gods, All- 
father determined to get rid of them, and, striding off to Jotun- 
heim, flung Hel down into the depths of Nifl-heim, where he told 
her she could reign over the nine dismal worlds of the dead. He 
threw Iormungandr into the sea, where he stretched himself 
and grew until he encircled all the earth and could bite his own 
tail. 

" Into mid-ocean's dark depths hurled, 

Grown with each day to giant size, 

The serpent soon inclosed the world, 

With tail in mouth, in circle-wise ; 

Held harmless still 

By Odin's will." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

None too well pleased that the serpent should have attained 
such fearful dimensions in his new element, Odin resolved to lead 
Fenris to Asgard, where he hoped, by kindly treatment, to make 
him gentle and tractable. But the gods one and all shrank back 
in dismay when they saw the wolf, and none dared approach to 
give him food except Tyr, whom nothing ever daunted. Seeing 
that Fenris daily increased in size, strength, voracity, and fierce- 
ness, the gods assembled in council to deliberate how they might 
best dispose of him. They unanimously decided that it would 
desecrate their peace-steads to slay him, and resolved to bind him 
fast so that he could work them no harm. 

With that purpose in view, they ordered a strong chain named 



pHfo 



90 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Lseding, and, going out into the yard with it, playfully proposed 
to Fenris to bind it about him, to see whether his vaunted 
strength could burst it asunder. Confident in his ability to 
release himself, Fenris patiently allowed them to bind him fast, 
but when all stood aside, he shook and stretched himself and 
easily broke the chain to pieces. 

Concealing their chagrin, the gods praised his strength, but 
soon left him to order a much stronger fetter, Droma, which, 
after some persuasion, the wolf allowed them to fasten around 
him also. A short, sharp struggle sufficed, however, to burst this 
bond too ; so it has become proverbial in the North to use the 
figurative expressions/' to get loose out of Lseding," and " to dash 
out of Droma," whenever great difficulties have to be surmounted. 

" Twice did the iEsir strive to bind, 
Twice did they fetters powerless find ; 
Iron or brass of no avail, 
Naught, save through magic, could prevail." 

. Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

The gods, perceiving now that ordinary bonds, however strong, 
would never prevail against the Fenris wolf's great strength, bade 
Skirnir, Frey's servant, go down to Svart-alfa-heim and bid the 
dwarfs fashion a bond which nothing could sever. 

By magic arts the dark elves manufactured a slender silken rope 
out of such impalpable materials as the sound of a cat's footsteps, 
a woman's beard, the roots of a mountain, the longings of the 
bear, the voice of fishes, and the spittle of birds, and when it was 
finished they gave it to Skirnir, assuring him that no strength 
would avail to break it, and that the more it was strained the 
stronger it would become. 

" Gleipnir, at last, 
By Dark Elves cast, 

In Svart-alf-heim, with strong spells wrought, 
To Odin was by Skirnir brought : 



TYR. 9 1 

As soft as silk, as light as air, 

Yet still of magic power most rare." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

Armed with this bond, called Gleipnir, the gods went with Fenris 
to the Island of Lyngvi, in the middle of Lake Amsvartnir, and 
again proposed, to test his strength. But although Fenris had 
grown still stronger, he mistrusted the bond which looked so slight. 
He therefore refused to allow himself to be bound, unless one of 
the ^sir would consent to put his hand in his mouth, and leave it 
there, as a pledge of good faith, and that no magic arts were to 
be used against him. 

The gods heard this condition with dismay, and all drew back 
except Tyr, who, seeing that the others would not venture to comply 
with this request, boldly stepped forward and thrust his hand 
between the monster's jaws. The gods now fastened Gleipnir 
around Fenris's neck and paws, shouting and laughing with glee 
when they saw that his utmost efforts to free himself were fruitless. 
Tyr, however, could not share their joy, for the wolf, finding himself 
captive, snapped his teeth together for rage, biting off the god's hand 
at the wrist, which since then has been known as the wolf's joint. 

Loki. 
" Be silent, Tyr ! 
Thou couldst never settle 
A strife 'twixt two ; 
Of thy right hand also 
I must mention make, 
Which Fenris from thee took. 

Tyr. 
I of a hand am wanting 
But thou of honest fame ; 
Sad is the lack* of either. 
Nor is the wolf at ease : 
He in bonds must bide 
Until the gods' destruction." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 



92 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Deprived of his right hand, Tyr was now forced to use the 
maimed arm for his shield, and to wield his sword with his left 
hand ; but such was his dexterity that he slew just as many ene- 
mies as before. 

The gods, in spite of all the wolf's struggles, now drew the end 
of the fetter Gelgia through the rock Gioll, and fastened it to the 
bowlder Thviti, which was sunk deep in the ground. Opening 
wide his fearful jaws, Fenris uttered such terrible howls that the 
gods, to silence him, thrust a sword into his mouth, the hilt resting 
upon his lower jaw and the point against his palate. The blood 
then began to pour out in such streams that it formed a great 
river, called Von. The wolf was condemned to remain thus 
chained fast until the last day, when his bonds would burst and 
he would find himself free to avenge his wrongs. 

" The wolf Fenrir, 
Freed from the chain, 
Shall range the earth." 

Death-song of Hakon (W. Taylor's tr.). 

While some mythologists see in this myth an emblem of crime 
restrained and made innocuous by the power of the law, others 
see the underground fire, which kept within bounds can injure 
no one, but which unfettered fills the world with destruction and 
woe. Just as Odin's second eye is said to rest in Mimir's well, 
so Tyr's second hand (sword) is found in Fenris's jaws, as he has 
no more use for two weapons than the sky for two suns. 

Tyr's worship is commemorated in sundry places (such as Tu- 
bingen, in Germany), which bear more or less modified forms of 
his name. It has also been given to the aconite, a plant known 
in Northern countries as "Tyr's helm." 



CHAPTER VI. 



BRAGI. 



At the time of the dispute between the ^Esir and Vanas, when 
the peace articles had all been agreed upon, a vase was brought 
into the assembly into which both parties solemnly origin of 
spat. From this saliva the gods created Kvasir, poetry, 

a being renowned for his wisdom and goodness, who went about 
the World answering all questions asked him, thus teaching and 
benefiting all mankind. The dwarfs, hearing about Kvasir's great 
wisdom, coveted it, and finding him asleep one day, two of their 
number, Fialar and Galar, treacherously slew him, and drained 
every drop of his blood into three vessels — the kettle Od-hroerir 
(inspiration) and the bowls Son (expiation) and Boden (offering). 
After duly mixing this blood with honey, they manufactured from 
it a sort of beverage so inspiring that any one who tasted it imme- 
diately became a poet, and could sing with a charm which was 
certain to win all hearts. 

Now, although the dwarfs had brewed this marvelous mead 
for their own consumption, they did not even taste it, but hid it 
away in a secret place, while they went out in search of further 
adventures. They had not gone very far ere they found the 
giant Gilling also sound asleep lying on a steep bank, and 
maliciously rolled him into the water, where he perished. Then 
hastening to his dwelling, some -climbed on the roof, carrying a 
huge millstone, while the others, entering, told the giantess that 
her husband was dead. This news caused the poor woman great 
grief ; but just as she was rushing out of the house to view Gil- 

93 



94 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

ling's remains, the wicked dwarfs rolled the millstone down upon 
her head, and killed her. According to another account, the 
dwarfs invited the giant to go fishing with them, and succeeded in 
slaying him by sending him out in a leaky vessel, which sank be- 
neath his weight. 

The crime thus committed did not long remain unpunished, 
for although Gilling's wife was dead, he had left a brother, 
Suttung, who determined to avenge him. Seizing the dwarfs in 
his mighty grasp, this giant placed them on a shoal far out at 
sea, where they would surely have perished at the next high tide 
had they not succeeded in redeeming their lives by relinquish- 
ing their recently brewed mead. As soon as Suttung set them 
ashore, they therefore gave him the precious compound, which 
he intrusted to his daughter Gunlod, bidding her guard it night 
and day, and allow neither gods nor mortals to have even a 
taste. To fulfill this command, Gunlod carried the three ves- 
sels into the hollow mountain, where she kept watch over them 
with the most scrupulous care, little suspecting that Odin had dis- 
covered their place of concealment, thanks to the sharp eyes of 
his ever-vigilant ravens Hugin and Munin. 

As Odin had mastered the runic lore and had tasted the 
waters of Mimir's fountain, he was already the wisest of gods ; 
but hearing of the power of the draught of inspiration manu- 
factured out of Kvasir's blood, he became very anxious to obtain 
possession of it also. With this purpose in view he therefore 
donned his broad-brimmed hat, wrapped himself in his cloud- 
hued cloak, and journeyed off to Jotun-heim. On his way to the 
giant's dwelling he passed by a field where nine ugly thralls were 
busy making hay. Odin paused for a moment, watched them 
work, and then proposed to whet their scythes, which seemed 
very dull indeed — an offer which the thralls eagerly accepted. 

Drawing a whetstone from his bosom, Odin proceeded to 
sharpen the nine scythes, skillfully giving them such a keen edge 
that the thralls, finding their labor much lightened, asked for 
his whetstone. With good-humored acquiescence, Odin tossed the 



BRAG I. 95 

whetstone over the wall ; but as the nine thralls simultaneously 
sprang forward to catch it, they wounded one another with their 
keen scythes. In anger at their respective carelessness, they now 
began to fight, and did not pause until they were all either mor- 
tally wounded or dead. 

Quite undismayed by this tragedy, Odin continued on his way, 
and soon came to the house of the giant Baugi, a brother of Sut- 
tung, who received him very hospitably, and in the course of the 
conversation informed him that he was greatly embarrassed, as it 
was harvest time and all his workmen had just been found dead 
in the hay field. 

Odin, who on this occasion had given his name as Bolwerk 
(evil doer), promptly offered his services to the giant, prom- 
ising to accomplish as much work as the nine thralls, and. to 
labor diligently all summer in exchange for one single draught of 
Suttung's magic mead when the busy season was ended. This 
bargain was immediately concluded, and Baugi's new servant, 
Bolwerk, worked incessantly all summer long, more than fulfilling 
his part of the contract, and safely garnering all the grain before 
the autumn rains began to fall. When the first days of winter 
came, Bolwerk presented himself before his master, claiming his 
reward. But Baugi hesitated and demurred, saying he dared not 
openly ask his brother Suttung for a draught of inspiration, but 
would try to obtain it by cunning. Together, Bolwerk and Baugi 
then proceeded to the mountain where Gunlod dwelt, and as 
they could find no other mode of entering the secret cave, Odin 
produced his trusty auger, called Rati, and bade the giant bore 
with all his might to make a hole through which he might crawl 
into the mountain. 

Baugi silently obeyed, and after a few moments' work withdrew 
the tool, saying that he had pierced through the mountain side, and 
that Odin would have no difficulty in slipping through. But the 
god, mistrusting this statement, merely blew into the hole, and 
when the dust and chips came flying into his face, he sternly bade 
Baugi resume his boring and never attempt to deceive him again. 



g6 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

The giant bored on, and when he withdrew his tool again, 
Odin ascertained that the hole was really finished. Changing 
himself into a worm, he wriggled through with such remarkable 
rapidity that he managed to escape, although Baugi treacherously 
thrust the sharp auger into the hole after him, intending to kill 

him. 

"Rati's mouth I caused 
To make a space, 
And to gnaw the rock ; 
Over and under me 
Were the Jotun's ways : 
Thus I my head did peril." 

Havamal (Thorpe's tr.). 

Having reached the stalactite-hung cave, Odin reassumed his 
usual godlike form and starry mantle, and then presented himself 
before the beautiful Gunlod to exert all his fascinations to win 
her love, and coax her to grant him a sip from each of the vessels 
confided to her care. 

Won by his passionate wooing, Gunlod consented to become 
his wife, and after he had spent three whole days with her in this 
retreat, she brought out the vessels from their secret hiding place, 
and told him he might take a sip from each. 

"And a draught obtained 
Of the precious mead, 
Drawn from Od-hroerir." 

Odin's Rune-Song (Thorpe's tr.). 

Odin made use of this permission to drink so deeply that 
he completely drained all three vessels, and then, having ob- 
tained all he wanted, and being intoxicated with love, poetry, and 
inspiration, he donned his eagle plumes, rose higher and higher 
up into the blue, and, after hovering for a moment over the moun- 
tain top, winged his heavy flight towards Asgard. 

He was still very far from the gods' realm, however, when he 
suddenly became aware of a pursuer, and, turning his head, ascer- 



BRAG I. 97 

tained that Suttung, having also assumed the form of an eagle, 
was coming rapidly after him to compel him to surrender the 
stolen mead. Odin therefore flew faster and faster, straining 
every nerve to reach Asgard before the foe should overtake him, 
while the gods anxiously watched the race. 

Seeing that Odin was greatly handicapped and would scarcely 
be able to escape, the ^Esir hastily gathered all the combustible 
materials they could find, and as soon as he had flown over the 
ramparts of their dwelling, they set fire to the mass of fuel, so 
that the flames, rising high, singed the wings of Suttung, who, 
bewildered with pain, fell into the very midst of the fire, where 
he was burned to death. 

As for Odin, he flew on to the spot where the gods had pre- 
pared vessels for the stolen mead, and disgorged the draught of 
inspiration in such breathless haste that a few drops were scat- 
tered over the earth. There they became the portion of rhym- 
sters and poetasters, the gods reserving the divine beverage for 
their own consumption, and only occasionally vouchsafing a taste 
to some favored mortal, who, immediately after, won world-wide 
renown by his inspired songs. 

" Of a well-assumed form 
I made good use : 
Few things fail the wise; 
For Od-hroerir 
Is now come up 
To men's earthly dwellings." 

Havamal (Thorpe's tr.). 

As men and gods owed this priceless gift to Odin, they were 
ever ready to show him their gratitude, and not only called it by 
his name, but also worshiped him as god of eloquence, poetry, and 
song, and made him the patron of all scalds. 

Although Odin had thus won the gift of poetry, he seldom 
made use of it himself. It was reserved for his The d of 
son Bragi, the child of Gunlod, to become the god music, 

of poetry and music and to charm the world with his songs. 



98 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

"White-bearded bard, ag'd 
Bragi, his gold harp 
Sweeps — and yet softer 
Stealeth the day." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

As soon as Bragi was born in the stalactite-hung cave where 
Odin had won Gunlod's affections, the dwarfs presented him 
with a magic golden harp, and, setting him on board of one of 
their own vessels, sent him out into the wide world. As the boat 
gently passed out of subterranean darkness, and floated over the 
threshold of Nain, the realm of the dwarf of death, Bragi, the 
fair and immaculate young god, who until then had shown no 
signs of life, suddenly sat up, and, seizing the golden harp beside 
him, began to sing the wondrous song of life, which at times rose 
up to heaven, and then sank down to the underground realm 
of Hel, the goddess of death. 

" Yggdrasil's ash is 
Of all trees most excellent, 
And of all ships. Skidbladnir; 
Of the ^sir, Odin, 
And of horses, Sleipnir ; 
Bifrost of bridges, 
And of scalds, Bragi." 

Lay of Grimnir (Thorpe's tr.). 

While he played the vessel was gently wafted over sunlit 
waters, and soon touched the shore. The god Bragi then pro- 
ceeded on foot, threading his way through the bare and silent 
forest, playing as he walked. At the sound of his tender music 
the trees began to bud and bloom, and the grass underfoot was 
gemmed with countless flowers. 

Here he met Idun, daughter of Ivald, the fair goddess of im- 
mortal youth, whom the dwarfs allowed to visit the earth from 
time to time, and at her approach nature invariably assumed its 
loveliest and gentlest aspect. 

Bragi having secured this fair goddess for his wife hastened 



/ 



BRAG I. 99 

with her to Asgard, where both were warmly welcomed and 
where Odin, after tracing runes on Bragi's tongue, decreed that 
he should be the heavenly minstrel and compose songs in honor 
of the gods and of the heroes whom he received in Valhalla. 

As Bragi was god of poetry, eloquence, and song, the Northern 
races also called poetry by his name, and scalds of either sex were 
frequently designated as Braga-men or Braga-wo- worship of 
men. Bragi was greatly honored by all the North- Bragi. 

ern races, and hence his health was always drunk on solemn or 
festive occasions, but especially at funeral feasts and at Yule-tide 
celebrations. 

When it was time to drink this toast, which was served in 
cups shaped like a ship, and was called the Bragaful, the sacred 
sign of the hammer was first made over it. Then the new ruler 
or head of the family solemnly pledged himself to some great deed 
of valor, which he was bound to execute within the year, unless 
he wished to be considered destitute of honor. Following his 
example, all the guests were then wont to make similar vows and 
declare what they would do ; and as some of them, owing to 
previous potations, talked rather too freely of their intentions on 
these occasions, this custom seems to connect the god's name 
with the vulgar but ver)r expressive English verb " to brag." 

In art, Bragi is generally represented as an elderly man, with 
long white hair and beard, and holding the golden harp from which 
his fingers could draw such magic tones. 



CHAPTER VII. 



IDUN. 



Idun, the personification of spring or immortal youth, who, 
according to some mythologists, had no birth and was never to 
The apples taste death, was also warmly welcomed by the 
of youth. g 0( ^ s w h en s h e mac ie her appearance in Asgard 
with Bragi. To win their affections she promised them a daily 
taste of the marvelous apples which she bore in her casket, 
which had the power of conferring immortal youth and loveli- 
ness upon all who partook of them. 

"The golden apples 
Out of her garden 
Have yielded you dower of youth, 
Ate you them every day." 

Wagner (Forman's tr.). 

Thanks to this magic fruit, the Scandinavian gods, who, be- 
cause they sprang from a mixed race, were not all immortal, 
warded off the approach of old age and disease, and remained 
vigorous, beautiful, and young through countless ages. These 
apples were therefore considered very precious indeed, and Idun 
carefully treasured them in her magic casket. But no matter 
how many she drew out, the same number always remained for 
distribution at the feast of the gods, to whom alone she vouchsafed 
a taste, although dwarfs and giants were eager to obtain pos- 
session of this fruit. 

"Bright Iduna, Maid immortal! 
Standing at Valhalla's portal, 



I DUN. toi 

In her casket has rich store 
Of rare apples, gilded o'er ; 
Those rare apples, not of Earth, 
Ageing ^Esir give fresh birth." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

One day, Odin, Hoenir, and Loki started out upon one of their 
usual excursions to earth, and, after wandering for a long while, 
found themselves in a deserted region, where they could dis- 
cover no hospitable dwelling. Weary and very hungry, the gods 
perceiving a herd of oxen, slew one, kindled a fire, and sat down 
beside it to rest while waiting for their meat to cook. 

To their surprise, however, in spite of the roaring flames the 
meat remained quite raw. Realizing that some magic must 
be at work, they looked about them to discover what could hin- 
der their cookery. They finally perceived an eagle perched upon 
a tree above them. The bird addressed them and declared that 
the spell would be removed and the meat done to a turn in a 
very short time if they would only give him as much food as he 
could eat. The gods agreed to do this, and the eagle, swoop- 
ing downwards, fanned the flames with his huge wings, and 
soon the meat was cooked. But as he was about to carry off 
three quarters of the ox as his share, Loki seized a great stake 
lying near at hand, and began to belabor the voracious bird, for- 
getting that it was versed in magic arts. To his great dismay 
one end of the stake stuck fast to the eagle's back, the other 
to his hands, and he found himself dragged over stones and 
through briers, flying through the air, his arms almost torn out 
of their sockets. In vain he cried for mercy and implored the 
eagle to let him go ; the bird flew on, until he promised any ran- 
som his ravisher could ask in exchange for his release. 

The bird, who was the storm giant Thiassi in eagle guise, let 
him go only upon one condition. He made him Thiass j the 
promise upon the most solemn of oaths that he storm giant, 
would lure Idun out of Asgard, so that the giant might obtain 
possession of her and of her magic fruit. 



102 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Released at last, Loki returned to join Odin and Hoenir, to 
whom, however, he was very careful not to confide the condition 
upon which he had obtained his freedom ; and when they had re- 
turned to Asgard he began to plan how he might entice Idun out- 
side of the gods' abode. A few days later, Bragi being absent 
on one of his minstrel tours, Loki sought Idun in the groves of 
Brunnaker, where she had taken up her abode, and by artfully 
describing some apples which grew at a short distance from there, 
and which he mendaciously declared were exactly like hers, he 
lured her away from home with a crystal dish full of fruit, which 
she intended to compare with that which he extolled. No sooner 
had Idun left Asgard, however, than the deceiver Loki forsook 
her, and ere she could return home the storm giant Thiassi swept 
down from the north on his eagle wings, caught her up in his 
cruel talons, and bore her swiftly away to his barren and desolate 
home of Thrym-heim. 

" Thrymheim the sixth is named, 
Where Thiassi dwelt, 
That all-powerful Jotun." 

Lay of Grimnir (Thorpe's tr.). 

There she pined, grew pale and sad, but persistently refused to give 
him the smallest bite of her magic fruit, which, as he well knew, 
would make him beautiful and renew his strength and youth. 

" All woes that fall 
On Odin's hall 
Can be traced to Loki base. 

From out Valhalla's portal 
'Twas he who pure Iduna lured, — 
Whose casket fair 
Held apples rare 
That render gods immortal, — 
And in Thiassi's tower immured." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

Time passed. The gods, thinking that Idun had accompanied 
her husband and would soon return, at first paid no heed to her de- 



ID UN. 103 

parture, but little by little the beneficial effect of their last apple 
feast passed away. They gradually felt themselves grow old and 
stiff, and saw their youth and beauty disappear ; so they became 
alarmed and began to search for the missing goddess of perpetual 
youth. 

Close investigation very soon revealed the fact that she had 
last been seen in Loki's company, and when Odin sternly called 
him to account, this god was forced to reveal that he had be- 
trayed her into the storm giant's power. 

" By his mocking, scornful mien, 
Soon in Valhal it was seen 
'Twas the traitor Loki's art 
Which had led Idun apart 
To gloomy tower 
And Jotun power." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

The gods now indignantly bade Loki undo the harm he had 
done and immediately bring the goddess back, warning him that 
unless he complied with this command he would forfeit his life. 

Thus adjured, Loki promised to do all he could, and, borrow- 
ing Freya's falcon plumage, flew off to Thrym-heim, where he 
found Idun alone, sadly mourning her exile from Asgard and 
her beloved Bragi. Changing the fair goddess into a nut ac- 
cording to some mythologists, or according to others, into a 
swallow, Loki held her tightly between his claws, and rapidly 
winged his way back to Asgard, hoping he would reach the shel- 
ter of its high walls ere Thiassi returned from his fishing excur- 
sion in the Northern seas. 

The gods, assembled on the ramparts of the heavenly city, 
were watching for his return with far more anxiety than they had 
for Odin when he went in search of Od-hroerir, and, remembering 
the success of their ruse on that occasion, they had gathered great 
piles of fuel, which they were ready to set on fire at any moment. 

Suddenly they saw Loki coming, but descried in his wake the 



104 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

giant Thiassi, who, in eagle plumes, was striving to overtake him 
and claim his prey. Loki, knowing his life depended upon the 

Return of success of his venture, made such great efforts to 
idun. reach the goal ere Thiassi overtook him that he 

cleared the wall and sank exhausted in the midst of the gods, 
who, setting fire to the accumulated fuel, singed Thiassi's wings, 
blinded him with smoke, and, when he dropped stunned in their 
midst, ruthlessly fell upon and slew him. 

The ^Esir were overjoyed at the recovery of Idun, — who hast- 
ened to deal out her apples to them all. Feeling their wonted 
strength and good looks return with every mouthful they ate, 
they good-naturedly declared that it was no wonder even the 
giants longed to taste the apples of perpetual youth. They there- 
fore vowed they would place Thiassi's eyes as constellations in 
the heavens, in order to soften any feeling of anger which his 
relatives might experience upon learning how he had been slain. 

" Up I cast the eyes 
Of Allvaldi's son 
Into the heaven serene : 
They are signs the greatest 
Of my deeds." 

Lay of Harbard (Thorpe's tr.). 

The physical explanation of this myth is obvious. Idun, the 

emblem of vegetation, is forcibly carried away in autumn, when 

The goddess Bragi is absent and the singing of the birds has 

of spring. ceased. The cold wintry wind, Thiassi, detains her 
in the frozen, barren north, where she cannot thrive, until Loki, 
the south wind, brings back the seed or the swallow, which are 
both precursors of the returning spring. The youth, beauty, and 
strength conferred by Idun are symbolical of Nature's resurrec- 
tion in spring after winter's sleep, when color and vigor return to 
the earth, which has grown wrinkled and gray. 

As the disappearance of Idun (vegetation) was a yearly oc- 
currence, the old scalds were not content with this one myth, but 



I DUN. 105 

also invented another, which, unfortunately, has come down to 
us only in a fragmentary and very incomplete form. According 
to this account, I dun was once sitting upon the branches of the 
sacred ash Yggdrasil, when, growing suddenly faint, she loosed her 
hold and dropped down on the ground beneath, to the lowest 
depths of Nifl-heim. There she lay, pale and motionless, gazing 
with fixed and horror-struck eyes upon the grewsome sights of 
Hel's realm, trembling violently all the while, as if overcome by 
the penetrating cold. 

" In the dales dwells 

The prescient Dis, 

From Yggdrasil's 

Ash sunk down, 

Of alfen race, 

Idun by name, 

The youngest of Ivaldi's 

Elder children. 

She ill brooked 

Her descent 

Under the hoar tree's 

Trunk confined. 

She would not happy be 

With Norvi's daughter, 

Accustomed to a pleasanter 

Abode at home." 

Odin's Ravens' Song (Thorpe's tr.). 

Seeing that she did not rouse herself and return, Odin finally 
bade Bragi, Heimdall, and another of the gods go in search of 
her, giving them a white wolfskin to envelop her in, so that 
she should not suffer from the cold, and bidding them make 
every effort to rouse her from her stupor. 

" A wolfs skin they gave her, 
In which herself she clad." 

Odin's Ravens' Song (Thorpe's tr.). 

But although Idun passively allowed them to wrap her up in the 
warm wolfskin, she persistently refused to speak or move, and the 



106 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

gods sadly suspected she foresaw great ills, for the tears continu- 
ally rolled down her pallid cheeks. Bragi, seeing her unhappi- 
ness, bade the other gods return to Asgard without him, vowing 
that he would remain beside her until she was ready to leave 
Hel's dismal realm. But the sight of her woe oppressed him so 
sorely that he had no heart for his usual merry songs, and the 
strings of his harp remained entirely mute. 

" That voice-like zephyr o'er flow'r meads creeping, 
Like Bragi's music his harp strings sweeping." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

In this myth Idun's fall from Yggdrasil is symbolical of the 
autumnal falling of the leaves, which lie limp and helpless on 
the cold bare ground until they are hidden from sight under the 
snow, represented by the wolfskin, which Odin, the sky, sends 
down to keep them warm ; and the cessation of the birds' songs 
is further typified by Bragi's silent harp. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



NIORD. 



We have already seen how the ^Esir and Vanas exchanged 
hostages after the terrible war they had waged against each other, 
and that while Hoenir, Odin's brother, went to live in Vana-heim, 
Niord, with his two children, Frey and Freya, definitely took up 
his abode in Asgard. 

" In Vana-heim 
Wise powers him created, 
And to the gods a hostage gave." 

Lay of Vafthrudnir (Thorpe's tr.). 

As ruler of the winds, and of the sea near the shore, Niord was 
given the palace of Noatun, near the seashore, where we are told 
he stilled the terrible tempests stirred up by ^Egir, god of the 
deep sea. 

" Niord, the god of storms, whom fishers know; 
Not born in Heaven — he was in Van-heim rear'd, 
With men, but lives a hostage with the gods ; 
He knows each frith, and every rocky creek 
Fringed with dark pines, and sands where sea fowl scream." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

He also extended his special protection over commerce and fish- 
ing, which two occupations could be' pursued with advantage only 
during the short summer months, of which he was in a measure 
considered the personification. 

Niord is represented in art as a very handsome god, in the 
prime of life, clad in a short green tunic, with a crown of shells 

107 



108 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

and seaweed upon his head, or a broad-brimmed hat adorned 

with eagle or heron plumes. As personification of the summer, 

God of ne was invoked to still the raging storms which 

summer. desolated the coasts during the winter months. He 
was also implored to hasten the vernal warmth and thereby ex- 
tinguish the winter fires. 

As agriculture was practiced only during the summer months, 
and principally along the fiords or sea inlets, Niord was also 
invoked for favorable harvests, for he was said to delight in pros- 
pering those who placed their trust in him. 

Niord's first wife, according to some authorities, was his sister 
Nerthus, Mother Earth, who in Germany was identified with 
Frigga, as we have seen, but in Scandinavia was considered a 
separate divinity. He was, however, obliged to part with her 
when summoned to Asgard, where he occupied one of the twelve 
seats in the great council hall, and was present at all the assem- 
blies of the gods, withdrawing to Noatun only when his services 
were not required by the yEsir. 

" Noatun is the eleventh ; 
There Niord has 
Himself a dwelling made, 
Prince of men ; 
Guiltless of sin, 
He rules o'er the high-built fane." 

Lay of Grimnir (Thorpe's tr.). 

In his own home by the seashore, Niord delighted in watching 
the gulls fly to and fro, and in observing the graceful move- 
ments of the swans, his favorite birds, which were held sacred to 
him. He spent many an hour, too, considering the gambols of 
the gentle seals, which came to bask in the sunshine at his feet. 

Shortly after Idun's recovery from Thrym-heim, and Thiassi's 

death within the bounds of Asgard, the assembled gods were 

Skadi, goddess g reat ty surprised and dismayed to see Skadj^ the 

of wmter. giant's daughter, appear one day in their midst, 
demanding satisfaction for her father's death. Although the 



NIORD. 109 

daughter of an ugly old Hrim-thurs, Skadi, the goddess of 
winter, was very beautiful indeed, in her silvery armor, with 
her glittering spear, sharp-pointed arrows, short white hunting 
dress, white fur leggings, and broad snowshoes, and as she con- 
fronted the gods they could not but recognize the justice of her 
claim, and offered the usual fine in atonement. Skadi, however, 
was so very angry that she at first refused this compromise, and 
sternly demanded a life for a life, until Loki, wishing to appease 
her wrath, and thinking that if he could only make those proud 
lips unbend enough to smile the rest would be easy, began to 
play all manner of pranks. Fastening a goat to himself by an 
invisible cord, he went through a series of antics, grotesquely 
reproduced by the goat ; and this sight was so very comical that 
all the gods fairly shouted with merriment, and even Skadi was 
seen to smile. 

Taking advantage of this softened mood, the gods pointed to 
the firmament where her father's eyes glowed like radiant stars 
in the northern hemisphere. They told her they had placed 
them there to show him all honor, and finally added that she 
might select as husband any of the gods present at the assembly, 
providing she were content to judge of their attractions by their 
naked feet. 

Blindfolded, so that she could see only the feet of the gods 
standing in a circle around her, Skadi looked about her until she 
saw a pair of beautifully formed feet. She felt sure they must 
belong to Balder, the god of light, whose bright face had charmed 
her, and she designated their owner as her choice. 

But when the bandage was removed, she discovered to her 
secret chagrin that she had chosen Niord, to whom her troth 
was plighted, and with whom she nevertheless spent a very happy 
honeymoon in Asgard, where all seemed to delight in doing her 
honor. This time passed, however ; Niord took his bride home 
to Noatun, where the monotonous sound of the waves, the shriek- 
ing of the gulls, and the cries of the seals so disturbed Skadi's 
slumbers that she finally declared it was quite impossible for her 



no MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

to remain there any longer, and implored her husband to take 
her back to her native Thrym-heim. 

" Sleep could I not 
On my sea-strand couch, 
For screams of the sea fowl. 
There wakes me, 
When from the wave he comes, 
Every morning the mew (gull)." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

Niord, anxious to please his new wife, consented to take her to 
Thrym-heim and dwell there with her nine nights out of every 
twelve, providing she would spend the remaining three with him 
at Noatun ; but when he reached the mountain region, the sough- 
ing of the wind in the pines, the thunder of the avalanches, the 
cracking of the ice, the roar of the waterfalls, and the howling 
of the wolves appeared to him as unbearable as the sound of 
the sea had seemed to his wife, and he could not but rejoice 
when his time of exile was ended, and he once more found him- 
self domiciled at Noatun. 

" Am weary of the mountains ; 
Not long was I there, 
Only nine nights ; 
The howl of the wolves 
Methought sounded ill 
To the song of the swans." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

For some time, Niord and Skadi, who are the personifications 
of summer and winter, alternated thus, the wife spending the 
Parting of Niord three short summer months by the sea, and he re- 

and Skadi. luctantly remaining with her in Thrym-heim dur- 
ing the nine long winter months. But, finding ar last that their 
tastes would never agree, they decided to part forever, and re- 
turned to their respective homes, where each could follow the 
occupations which custom had endeared. 



NIORD. 1 1 1 

"Thrym-heim it's called, 
Where Thjasse dwelled, 
That stream-mighty giant; 
But Skade now dwells, 
Pure bride of the gods, 
In her father's old mansion." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

Skadi now resumed her wonted pastime of hunting, leaving 
her realm again only to marry the semi-historical Odin, to whom 
she bore a son called Saeming, the first king of Norway, and the 
supposed founder of the royal race which long ruled that country. 

According to other accounts, however, Skadi eventually mar- 
ried Uller, the winter-god. As Skadi was a skillful markswoman, 
she is represented with bow and arrow, and, as goddess of the 
chase, she is generally accompanied by one of the wolf-like Eskimo 
dogs so common in the North. Skadi was invoked by hunters 
and by winter travelers, whose sleighs she guided over the snow" 
and ice, thus helping them to reach their destination in safety. 

Skadi's anger against the gods, who had slain her father, the 
storm giant, is an emblem of the unbending rigidity of the ice- 
enveloped earth, which, softened at last by the frolicsome play 
of Loki (the heat lightning), smiles, and permits the embrace of 
Niord (summer). His love, however, cannot hold her for more 
than three months of the year (typified in the myth by nights), 
as she is always secretly longing for the wintry storms and her 
wonted mountain amusements. 

As Niord was supposed to bless the vessels passing in and out 
of port, his temples were situated by the seashore ; worship of 
it was there that the oaths in his name were com- Niord. 

monly sworn, and his health was drunk at every banquet, where 
he was invariably named with his son Frey. 

As all aquatic plants were supposed to belong to him, the 
marine sponge was known in the North as " Niord's glove," a 
name which was retained until lately, when the same plant has 
been popularly called the " Virgin's hand." 



CHAPTER IX. 



FREY. 



Frey, or Fro, as he was called in Germany, was the son of 
Niord and Nerthus, or of Niord and Skadi, and was born in 
Vana-heim. He therefore belonged to the race of the Vanas, 
the divinities of water and air, but was warmly welcomed in 
Asgard when he came thither as hostage with his father. As 
it was customary among the Northern nations to bestow some 
valuable gift upon a child when he cut his first tooth, the ^Esir 
gave the infant Frey the beautiful realm of Alf-heim or Fairyland, 
the home of all the Light Elves. 

"Alf-heim the gods to Frey 
Gave in days of yore 
For a tooth gift." 

SjEMUNd's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Here Frey, the god of the golden sunshine and the warm sum- 
mer showers, took up his abode, charmed with the company of 

The god of tne e ^ ves an( l fairies, who implicitly obeyed his 

fairyland. every order, and at a sign from him flitted to and 
fro, doing all the good in their power, for they were preemi- 
nently beneficent spirits. 

Frey received from the gods a marvelous sword (an emblem 
X)f the sunbeams), which had the power of fighting successfully, 
and of its own accord, as soon as it was drawn from its sheath. 
Because he carried this glittering weapon, Frey has sometimes 
been confounded with the sword-god Tyr or Saxnot, although 




{Opp. p. 112.) 



FREY. 



FRE Y. 113 

he wielded it principally against the frost giants, whom he hated 
almost as much as did Thor. 

" With a short-shafted hammer fights conquering Thor ; 
Frey's own sword but an ell long is made." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

The dwarfs from Svart-alfa-heim gave Frey the golden-bristled 
boar Gullin-bursti (the golden-bristled), a personification of the 
sun. The radiant bristles of this animal were considered sym- 
bolical either of the solar rays, of the golden grain, which at his 
bidding waved over the harvest fields of Midgard, or of agricul- 
ture, for the boar (by tearing up the ground with his sharp tusk) 
was supposed- to have first taught mankind how to plow. 

" There was Frey, and sat 
Gn the gold-bristled boar, who first, they say, 
Plowed the brown earth, and made it green for Frey." 

Lovers of Gudrun (William Morris). 

Frey sometimes rode astride of this marvelous boar, whose celer- 
ity was very great, and at other times harnessed him to his golden 
chariot, which was said to contain the fruits and flowers which 
he lavishly scattered abroad over the face of the earth. 

Frey was, moreover, the proud possessor, not only of the daunt- 
less steed Blodug-hofi, which dashed through fire and water at 
his command, but also of the magic ship Skidbladnir, a personi- 
fication of the clouds. This vessel, navigating over land and sea, 
was always wafted along by favorable winds, and was so elastic 
that, while it could assume large enough proportions to carry the 
gods, their steeds, and all their equipments, it could also be folded 
up like a napkin and thrust out of sight. 

" Ivaldi's sons 
Went in days of old 
Skidbladnir to form, 
Of ships the best, 
For the bright Frey, 
Niord's benign son." 

Lay of Grimnir (Thorpe's tr.). 

8 



H4 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

It is related in one of the lays of the Edda that Frey once ven- 
tured to ascend Odin's throne Hlidskialf, and from this exalted 
seat cast a glance over all the wide earth. Gazing towards the 
frozen North, he saw a beautiful young maiden enter the house 
of the frost giant Gymir, and as she raised her hand to lift the 
latch her radiant beauty illuminated sea and sky. 

A moment later, this lovely creature, whose name was Gerda, 

and who is considered as a personification of the flashing North- 

The wooing ern lights, vanished within her father's house, 

of Gerda. anc i jr rev pensively wended his way back to Alf- 
heim, his heart oppressed with longing to make this fair maiden 
his wife. Being deeply in love, he w T as melancholy and absent- 
minded in the extreme, and began to behave so strangely that 
his father, Niord, became greatly alarmed about his health, and 
bade his favorite servant, Skirnir, discover the cause of this sud- 
den change. After much persuasion, Skirnir finally won from 
Frey an account of his ascent of Hlidskialf, and of the fair vision 
he had seen. He confessed his love and especially his utter 
despair, for as Gerda was the daughter of Gymir and Angur-boda, 
and a relative of the murdered giant Thiassi, he feared she would 
never view his suit with favor. 

" In Gymer's court I saw her move, 
The maid who fires my breast with love ; 
Her snow-white arms and bosom fair 
Shone lovely, kindling sea and air. 
Dear is she to my wishes, more 
Than e'er was maid to youth before ; 
But gods and elves, I wot it well, 
Forbid that we together dwell." 

Skirner's Lay (Herbert's tr.). 

Skirnir, however, consolingly replied that he could see no rea- 
son why his master should take such a despondent view of the 
matter, and proposed to go and woo the maiden in his name, 
providing Frey would lend him his steed for the journey, and 
give him his glittering sword in reward. 



FRE Y. 115 

Overjoyed at the mere prospect of winning the beautiful Gerda, 
Frey handed Skirnir the flashing sword, and bade him use his 
horse, ere he resumed his interrupted day-dream ; for ever since 
he had fallen in love he had frequently indulged in revery. In 
his absorption he did not even notice that Skirnir was still hover- 
ing near him, and did not perceive him cunningly steal the reflec- 
tion of his face from the surface of the brook near which he was y 
seated, and imprison it in his drinking horn, intending " to pour 
it out in Gerda's cup, and by its beauty win the heart of the 
giantess for the lord " for whom he was about to go a-wooing. 
Provided with this portrait, with eleven golden apples, and with 
the magic ring JDraupnir, Skirnir now rode off to Jotun-heim, to 
fulfill his embassy. As soon as he came near Gymir's dwelling 
he heard the loud and persistent howling of his watch dogs, 
which were personifications of the wintry winds. A shepherd, 
guarding his flock in the vicinity, told him, in answer to his in- 
quiry-, that it would be impossible for him to approach the house, 
on account of the flaming barrier which surrounded it ; but Skir- 
nir, knowing that Blodug-hofi would dash through any fire, merely 
set spurs to his steed, and, riding up to the giant's door, soon 
found himself ushered into the presence of the lovely Gerda. 

To induce this fair maiden to lend a favorable ear to his 
master's proposals, Skirnir showed her the purloined portrait, 
and proffered the golden apples and magic ring, which she 
haughtily refused to accept, declaring that her father had gold 
enough and to spare. 

" I take not, I, that wondrous ring, 
Though it from Balder's pile you bring. 
Gold lack not I, in Gymer's bower ; 
Enough for me my father's dower." 

Skirner's Lay (Herbert's tr.). 

Indignant at her scorn, Skirnir now threatened to use his magic 
sword to cut off her head ; but as this threat did not in the least 
frighten the maiden, and she calmly defied him, he had recourse 



u6 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

to magic arts. Cutting runes in his stick, he told her that unless 
she yielded ere the spell was ended, she would be condemned 
either to eternal celibacy, or to marry some hideous old frost 
giant whom she could never love. 

Terrified into submission by the frightful description he gave 
of her cheerless future in case she persisted in her refusal, Gerda 
finally consented to become Frey's wife, and dismissed Skirnir, 
promising to meet her future spouse on the ninth night, in the 
land of Buri, the green grove, where she would dispel his sadness 
and make him happy. 

" Burri is hight the seat of love ; 
Nine nights elapsed, in that known grove 
Shall brave Niorder's gallant boy 
From Gerda take the kiss of joy." 

Skirner's Lay (Herbert's tr.). 

Delighted with his success, Skirnir hurried back to Alf-heim, 
where Frey eagerly came to meet him, and insisted upon know- 
ing the result of his journey. When he learned that Gerda had 
consented to become his wife, his face grew radiant with joy ; but 
when Skirnir further informed him that he would have to wait 
nine nights ere he could behold his promised bride, he turned 
sadly away, declaring the time would appear interminable. 

" Long is one night, and longer twain ; 
But how for three endure my pain ? 
A month of rapture sooner flies 
Than half one night of wishful sighs." 

Skirner's Lay (Herbert's tr.). 

In spite of this loverlike despondency, however, the time of 
waiting came to an end, and Frey joyfully hastened to the green 
grove, where he met Gerda, who became his happy wife, and 
proudly sat upon his throne beside him. 

" Frey to wife had Gerd ; 
She was Gymir's daughter, 
From Jotuns sprung." 

S/EMUnd's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 



FREY. 117 

According to some mythologists, Gerda is not a personifica- 
tion of the aurora borealis, but of the earth, which, hard, cold, 
and unyielding, resists the spring-god's proffers of adornment 
and fruitfulness (the apples and ring), defies the flashing sun- 
beams (Frey's sword), and only consents to receive his kiss when 
it learns that it will else be doomed to perpetual barrenness, or 
given over entirely into the power of the giants (ice and snow). 
The nine nights of waiting are typical of the nine winter months, 
at the end of which the earth becomes the bride of the sun, in the 
groves where the trees are budding forth into leaf and blossom. 

Frey and Gerda, we are told, became the parents of a son 
called Fiolnir, whose birth consoled Gerda for the loss of her 
brother Beli. The latter had attacked Frey and had been slain 
by him, although the sun-god, deprived of his matchless sword, 
had been obliged to defend himself with a stag horn which he 
hastily snatched from the wall of his dwelling. 

Besides the faithful Skirnir, Frey had two other attendants, a 
married couple, Beyggvir and Beyla, the personifications of mill 
refuse and manure, which two ingredients, being used in agricul- 
ture for fertilizing purposes, were therefore considered Frey's 
faithful servants, in spite of their unpleasing qualities. 

Snorro-Sturleson, in his " Heimskringla," or chronicle of the 
ancient kings of Norway, states that Frey was an historical per- 
sonage who bore the name of Ingvi-Frey, and The histor i C ai 
ruled in Upsala after the death of the semi-his- Frey. 

torical Odin and Niord.- Under his reign the people enjoyed 
such prosperity and peace that they declared their king must be 
a god. They therefore began to invoke him as such, carrying 
their enthusiastic admiration for him to such lengths that when 
he died the priests, not daring to reveal the fact, laid him in a 
great mound instead of burning his body, as had been customary 
until then. They then informed the people that Frey — whose 
name was the Northern synonym for "master" — had "gone 
into the mountain," an expression which eventually became the 
Northern phrase for death. 



us MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Only three years later the people, who had continued paying 
their taxes to the king by pouring the gold, silver, and copper 
coin into the mound by three different openings, discovered that 
Frey was dead. As their peace and prosperity had remained 
undisturbed, they decreed that his corpse should never be burned, 
and thus inaugurated the custom of mound burial, which in 
due time supplanted the funeral pyre in many places. One 
of the three mounds near Gamla Upsala still bears this god's 
name. His statues were placed in the great temple there, and 
his name was duly mentioned in all solemn oaths, of which the 
usual formula was, " So help me Frey, Niord, and the Almighty 
Asa" (Odin). 

No weapons were ever admitted in Frey's temples, the most 
celebrated of which were at Throndhjeim, and at Thvera in Ice- 

Worship of land, where oxen or horses were offered up in 
Frey - sacrifice to him, and where a heavy gold ring was 

dipped in the victim's blood ere the above-mentioned oath was 
solemnly taken upon it. 

Frey's statues, like those of all the other Northern divinities, 
were roughly hewn blocks of wood, and the last of these sacred 
images seems to have been destroyed by Olaf the Saint, who 
forcibly converted many of his subjects. Besides being god of sun- 
shine, fruitfulness, peace, and prosperity, Frey was considered the 
patron of horses and horsemen, and the deliverer of all captives. 

" Frey is the best 
Of all the chiefs 
Among the gods. 
He causes not tears 
To maids or mothers : 
His desire is to loosen the fetters 
Of those enchained." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

One month of every year, the Yule month, or Thor's month, 
was considered sacred to Frey as well as to Thor, and began on 
the longest night of the year, which bore the name of Mother 



FREY. 119 

Night. This month was a time of feasting and rejoicing, for it 
heralded the return of the sun. The festival was called Yule 
(wheel) because the sun was supposed to resemble The Yule 
a wheel rapidly revolving across the sky. This re- feast- 

semblance gave rise to a singular custom in England, Germany, 
and along the banks of the Moselle. Until within late years, the 
people were wont to assemble yearly upon a mountain, to set fire 
to a huge wooden wheel, twined with straw, which, all ablaze, 
was then sent rolling down the hill and plunged with a hiss into 
the water. 

"Some others get a rotten Wheele, all worn and cast aside, 
Which, covered round about with strawe and tow, they closely hide ; 
And caryed to some mpuntaines top, being all with fire light, 
They hurle it down with violence, when darke appears the night ; 
Resembling much the sunne, that from the Heavens down should fal, 
A strange and monstrous sight it seemes, and fearful to them all ; 
But they suppose their mischiefs are all likewise throwne to hell, 
And that, from harmes and dangers now, in safetie here they dwell." 

Naogeorgus. 

All the Northern races considered the Yule feast the greatest 
of the year, and were wont to celebrate it with dance, feasting, 
and drinking, each god being pledged by name. The mission- 
aries, perceiving the extreme popularity of this feast, thought 
best to encourage drinking to the health of the Lord and his 
twelve apostles when they first began to convert the Northern 
heathens. In honor of Frey, boar's flesh was eaten on this occa- 
sion. Crowned with laurel and rosemary, the animal's head was 
brought into the banquet hall with much ceremony — a custom 
long after observed at Oxford, where the following lines were 
sung: 

*' Caput apri defero 
Reddens laude Domino. 
The boar's head in hand bring I, 
With garlands gay and rosemary. 
I pray you all sing merrily 
Qui estis in convivio." 

Queen's College Carol, Oxford. 



120 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

The father of the family then laid his hand on this dish, which 
was called " the boar of atonement," swearing he would be faith- 
ful to his family, and would fulfill all his obligations — an example 
which was followed by all present, from the highest to the low- 
est. This dish could be carved only by a man of unblemished 
reputation and tried courage, for the boar's head was a sacred 
emblem which was supposed to inspire every one with fear. For 
that reason a boar's head was frequently used as ornament for 
the helmets of Northern kings and heroes whose bravery was 
unquestioned. 

As Frey's name of Fro is phonetically the same as the word 
used in German for gladness, he was considered the patron of 

God of conjugal ever } 7 J ) 7 ' and was invariably invoked by mar- 
happmess. r j e( q COU pi es wno wished to live in harmony. Those 

who succeeded in doing so for a certain length of time were 

publicly rewarded by the gift of a piece of boar's flesh, for which, 

in later times, the English and Viennese substituted a flitch of 

bacon or a ham. 

" You shall swear, by custom of confession, 
If ever you made nuptial transgression, 
Be you either married man or wife : 
If you have brawls or contentious strife ; 
Or otherwise, at bed or at board, 
Offended each other in deed or word ; 
Or, since the parish clerk said Amen, 
You wish'd yourselves unmarried again ; 
Or, in a twelvemonth and a day 
Repented not in thought any way, 
But continued true in thought and desire 
As when you join'd hands in the quire. 
If to these conditions, with all feare, 
Of your own accord you will freely sweare, 
A whole gammon of bacon you shall receive, 
And bear it hence with love and good leave : 
For this our custom at Dunmow well known — 
Though the pleasure be ours, the bacon's your own." 

Brand's Popular Antiquities. 



FREY. 121 

At Dunmow, England, and in Vienna, Austria, this custom was 
kept up very long indeed, the ham or flitch of bacon being 
hung over the city gate, whence the successful candidate was ex- 
pected to bring it down, after he had satisfied the judges that 
he lived in peace with his wife, but was not under petticoat rule. 
It is said that in Vienna this ham once remained for a long 
time unclaimed until at last a worthy burgher presented himself 
before the judges, bearing his wife's written affidavit that they 
had been married twelve years and had never disagreed — a 
statement which was confirmed by all their neighbors. The 
judges, satisfied with the proofs laid before them, told the candi- 
date that the prize was his, and that he only need climb the 
ladder placed beneath it .and bring it down. Rejoicing at hav- 
ing secured such a fine ham, the man obeyed ; but as he was 
about to reach upwards, he noticed that the ham, exposed to 
the noonday sun, was beginning to melt, and that a drop of fat 
threatened to fall upon and stain his Sunday coat. Hastily beat- 
ing a retreat, he pulled off his coat, jocosely remarking that his 
wife would scold him roundly were he to stain it, a confession 
which made the bystanders roar with laughter, and which cost 
him his ham. 

Another Yule-tide custom was the burning of a huge log, which 
had to last all night or it was considered of very bad omen in- 
deed. The charred remains of this log were carefully collected, 
and treasured up to set fire to the log of the following year. 

" With the last yeeres brand 

Light the new block, and 
For good successe in his spending, 

On your psaltries play, 

That sweet luck may 
Come while the log is a-tending." 

Hesperides (Herrick). 

This festival was so popular in Scandinavia, where it was cele- 
brated in January, that King Olaf, seeing how dear it was to the 
% Northern heart, transferred most of its observances to Christmas 



122 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

day, thereby doing much to reconcile the ignorant people to their 
change of religion. 

As god of peace and prosperity, Frey is supposed to have re- 
appeared upon earth many times, and to have ruled the Swedes 
under the name of Ingvi-Frey, whence his descendants were called 
Inglings. He also governed the Danes under the name of Frid- 
leef. In Denmark he is said to have married the beautiful maiden 
Freygerda, whom he had rescued from a dragon. By her he had 
a son named Frodi, who, in due time, succeeded him as king. 

This Frodi ruled Denmark in the days when there was "peace 
throughout all the world," that is to say, just at the time when 
Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea ; and because all his sub- 
jects lived in amity, he was generally known as Peace Frodi. 

This king once received from Hengi-kiaptr a pair of magic 

millstones, called Grotti, which were so ponderous that none of 

How the sea ms servants nor even his strongest warriors could 

became salt. tum them _ As p eace Frodi knew that the mill 

was enchanted and would grind anything he wished, he was very 
anxious indeed to set it to work, and, during a visit to Sweden, 
saw and purchased as slaves the two giantesses Menia and Fenia, 
whose powerful muscles and frames had attracted his attention. 
On his return home, Peace Frodi led these women to the 
mill, and bade them turn the grindstones and grind out gold, 
peace, and prosperity — a wish which was immediately fulfilled. 
Cheerfully the women worked on, hour after hour, until the king's 
coffers were overflowing with gold and his land with prosperity 
and peace. 

" Let us grind riches to Frothi ! 

Let us grind him, happy 

In plenty of substance, 

On our gladdening Quern." 

Grotta-Savngr (Longfellow's tr.). 

But when Menia and Fenia would fain have rested awhile, the 
king, whose greed had been excited, bade them work on. In 
spite of their cries and entreaties he forced them to labor hour 



FREY. 123 

after hour, allowing them only as much time to rest as was re- 
quired for the singing of a verse in a song, until, exasperated by 
his cruelty, the giantesses resolved to have their revenge. Once 
while Frodi slept they changed their song, and grimly began to 
grind an armed host, instead of prosperity and peace. By their 
spells they induced the Viking Mysinger to land with his troops, 
surprise the Danes, who were wrapped in slumber, and slay 

them all. 

" An army must come 
Hither forthwith, 
And burn the town 
For the prince." 

Grotta-Savngr (Longfellow's tr.). 

This Viking then placed the magic millstones Grotti and the 
two slaves on board his vessel, and bade the women grind for 
him, saying that he wanted salt, as it was a very valuable staple 
of commerce at that time. The women obeyed ; the millstones 
went round, grinding salt in abundance ; but the Viking, as cruel 
as Frodi, kept the women persistently at work, until they ground 
such an immense quantity of salt that its weight sunk the ship 
and all on board. 

The ponderous millstones sank straight down into the sea in 
the Pentland Firth, or off the northwestern coast of Norway, 
making a deep round hole. The waters, rushing into the vortex 
and gurgling in the holes in. the center of the stones, produced 
the great whirlpool, which is known as the Maelstrom. As for 
the salt, it soon melted ; but such was the quantity ground by 
the giantesses that it tainted all the waters of the sea, which have 
ever since been very salt indeed. 



V 



CHAPTER X. 



Freya, the fair Northern goddess of beauty and love, was the 
sister of Frey and the daughter of Niord and Nerthus, or Skadi. 
She was the most beautiful and best beloved of all the goddesses, 
and while in Germany she was identified with Frigga, in Norway, 
Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland she was considered a separate 
divinity. Freya, having been born in Vana-heim, was also known 
as Vanadis, the goddess of the Vanas, or as Vanabride. 

As soon as she reached Asgard, the gods were so charmed by 
her beauty and grace that they bestowed upon her the realm of 
Folkvang and the great hall Sessrymnir (the roomy-seated), where 
they assured her she could easily accommodate all her guests. 

" Folkvang 'tis called, 
Where Freyja has right 
To dispose of the hall-seats. 
Every day of the slain 
She chooses the half, 
And leaves half to Odin." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

Although goddess of love, Freya was not soft and pleasure-lov- 
ing only, for the ancient Northern races said that she had very 
Queen of the martial tastes, and that as Valfreya she often led 
Valkyrs. foe Valkyrs down to the battlefields, choosing and 
claiming one half the heroes slain. She was therefore often 
represented with corselet and helmet, shield and spear, only 

124 







jfrj** 



FREYA. 



__„_-* 



FREYA. 125 

the lower part of her body being clad in the usual flowing femi- 
nine garb. 

Freya transported the chosen slain to Folkvang, where they 
were duly entertained, and where she also welcomed all pure 
maidens and faithful wives, that they might enjoy the company 
of their lovers and husbands even after death. The joys of her 
abode were so enticing to the heroic Northern women that they 
often rushed into battle when their loved ones were slain, hoping 
to meet with the same fate ; or they fell upon their swords, or 
were voluntarily burned on the same funeral pyre as the beloved 
remains. 

As Freya was inclined to lend a favorable ear to lovers' prayers, 
she was often- invoked by them, and it was customary to indite 
love songs in her honor, which were sung on all festive occasions, 
her very name in Germany being used as the verb "to woo." 

Freya, the golden-haired and blue-eyed goddess, was also, at 
times, considered a personification of the earth. She therefore 
married Odur, a symbol of the summer sun, whom Frey a and 
she dearly loved, and by whom she had two ° dur - 

daughters, Hnoss and Gersemi, so beautiful that all things lovely 
and precious were called by their names. 

So long as Odur lingered contentedly at her side, Freya was 
smiling and perfectly happy ; but, alas ! this god was a rover, and, 
wearying of his wife's company, he suddenly left home and wan- 
dered far out into the wide world. Freya, sad and forsaken, wept 
abundantly, and her tears fell down upon the hard rocks, which 
softened at their contact. We are even told that they trickled 
down to the very center of the stones, where they were trans- 
formed to drops of gold. The tears which fell into the sea, how- 
ever, were changed into translucent amber. 

Weary of her widowed condition, and longing to clasp her be- 
loved in her arms once more, Freya finally started out in search 
of him, passing through many lands, where she was called by 
different names, such as Mardel, Horn, Gefn, Syr, Skialf, and 
Thrung, inquiring of all she met whether her husband had passed 



126 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

that way. and shedding so many tears that gold can be found in 

all parts of the earth. 

"And Freya next came nigh, with golden tears; 
The loveliest Goddess she in Heaven, by all 
Most honor'd after Frea, Odin's wife. 
Her long ago the wandering Oder took 
To mate, but left her to roam distant lands ; 
Since then she seeks him, and weeps tears of gold. 
Names hath she many ; Vanadis on earth 
They call her, Freya is her name in Heaven." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Far away in the sunny South, under the flowering myrtle trees, 
Freya found Odur at last, and her love being restored to her, she 
grew happy and smiling once more, and as radiant as a bride. 
It is perhaps because Freya found her husband beneath the 
flowering myrtle, that Northern brides, to this day, wear myrtle 
in preference to the conventional orange wreath. 

Hand in hand, Odur and Freya now gently wended their way 
home once more, and in the light of their happiness the grass 
grew green, the flowers bloomed, and the birds sang, for all Na- 
ture sympathized as heartily with Freya's joy as it had mourned 
with her when she was in sorrow. 

" Out of the morning land, 
Over the snowdrifts, 
Beautiful Freya came 
Tripping to Scoring. 
White were the moorlands, 
And frozen before her ; 
Green were the moorlands, 
And blooming behind her. 
Out of her gold locks 
Shaking the spring flowers, 
Out of her garments 
Shaking the south wind, 
Around in the birches 
Awaking: the throstles, 



FREYA. 127 

And making chaste housewives all 
Long for their heroes home, 
Loving and love-giving, 
Came she to Scoring." 

The Longbeards' Saga (Charles Kingsley). 

The prettiest plants and flowers in the North were called Freya's 
hair or Freya's eye dew, while the butterfly was called Freya's hen. 
This goddess was also supposed to have a special affection for 
the fairies, whom she loved to watch dancing in the moonbeams, 
and for whom she reserved her daintiest flowers and sweetest 
honey. Odur, Freya's husband, besides being considered a per- 
sonification of the sun, was also regarded as an emblem of pas- 
sion, or of the intoxicating pleasures of love ; so the ancients 
declared that it was no wonder his wife could not be happy 
without him. 

As goddess of beauty, Freya was very fond of the toilet, of 
glittering adornments, and of precious jewels. One day, while she 
was in Svart-alfa-heim, the underground kingdom, she saw four 
dwarfs carefully fashioning the most wonderful necklace she had 
ever seen. Almost beside herself with longing to possess this 
treasure, which was called Brisinga-men, and was an emblem of 
the stars, or of the fruitfulness of the earth, Freya implored the 
dwarfs to give it to her ; but they obstinately refused to do so 
unless she would promise to grant them her favor. Having 
secured the necklace at this price, Freya hastened to put it on, 
and its beauty so enhanced her charms that the goddess wore it 
night and day, and only occasionally could be persuaded to loan 
it to the other divinities. Thor, however, wore this necklace when 
he personated Freya in Jotun-heim, and Loki coveted and would 
have stolen it, had it not been for the watchfulness of Heimdall. 

Freya was also the proud possessor of a falcon garb, or falcon 
plumes, which enabled the wearer to flit through the air like a 
bird ; and this garment was so invaluable that it was twice bor- 
rowed by Loki, and was used by Freya herself when in search 
of the missing Odur. 



128 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LAXDS. 

" Freya one day 
Falcon wings took, and through space hied away ; 
Northward and southward she sought her 
Dearly-loved Odur." 

Fridthiof's Saga, Tegner (Stephens's tr.). 

As Freya was also considered goddess of fecundity, she was 
sometimes represented as riding about with her brother Frey in 
the chariot drawn by the golden-bristled boar, scattering, with 
lavish hands, fruits and flowers to gladden the hearts of all man- 
kind. She also had a chariot of her own, however, in which she 
generally traveled, which was drawn by cats, her favorite animals, 
the emblems of caressing fondness and sensuality, or the personi- 
fications of fecundity. 

" Then came dark-bearded Niord, and after him 
Freyia, thin robed, about her ankles slim 
The gray cats playing." 

Lovers of Gudrun (William Morris). 

Frey and Freya were held in such high honor throughout the 
North that their names, in modified forms, are still used for " mas- 
ter " and " mistress," and one day of the week is called Freya's 
day, or Friday, even by the English-speaking race. Freya's 
temples w T ere very numerous indeed, and w r ere long maintained 
by her votaries, the last in Magdeburg, Germany, being destroyed 
by order of Charlemagne. 

The Northern people were wont to invoke her not only for 
success in love, prosperity, and increase, but also at times for 
story of ottar a ^ an d protection. This she vouchsafed to all 
and Angantyr. W ^ Q servec i h er truly, as is proved by the story of 
Ottar and Angantyr, two men who, after disputing for some time 
concerning their rights to a certain piece of property, laid their 
quarrel before the Thing. In that popular assembly it was soon 
decreed that the man who could prove that he had the longest 
line of noble ancestors would be the one to win, and a special 
day was appointed to hear the genealogy of each claimant. 



1 




THE WITCHES' DANCE (VALPURGISNACHT).— Von Krehng. 



FREYA. 129 

Ottar, unable to remember the names of more than a few of 
his progenitors, offered up sacrifices to Freya, entreating her aid. 
The goddess graciously heard his prayer, appeared before him, 
changed him into a boar, and rode off upon his back to the 
dwelling of the sorceress Hyndla, the most renowned witch of 
the day. By threats and entreaties, Freya compelled this old 
woman to trace Ottar's genealogy back to Odin, naming every 
individual in turn, and giving a synopsis of his achievements. 
Then, fearing lest her votary's memory should prove treacherous, 
Freya further compelled Hyndla to brew a potion of remem- 
brance, which she gave him to drink. 

" He shall drink 
Delicious draughts. 
All the gods I pray 
To favor Ottar." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Thus prepared, Ottar presented himself before the Thing on 
the appointed day, glibly recited his pedigree, and by naming 
many more ancestors than Angantyr could recollect, obtained 
possession of the property he coveted. 

" A duty 'tis to act 
So that the young prince 
His paternal heritage may have 
After his kindred." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Freya was so beautiful that all the gods, giants, and dwarfs 
longed for her love and in turn tried to secure her as wife. But 
Freya scorned the ugly old giants and refused to belong even 
to Thrym, when urged to accept him by Loki and Thor. She 
was not so obdurate where the gods themselves were concerned, 
if the various mythologists are to be believed, for as the personifi- 
cation of the earth she is said to have married Odin, the sky, 
Frey, the fruitful rain, Odur, the sunshine, etc., until it seems as 
9 



130 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

if she deserved the accusation hurled against her by the arch- 
fiend Loki, of having loved and married all the gods in turn. 

It was customary on solemn occasions to drink Freya's health 

with that of the other gods, and when Christianity was intro- 

Worship of duced in the North this toast was transferred to 

Freya. fae virgin or to St. Gertrude ; Freya herself, like 

all the heathen divinities, was declared a demon or witch, and 

banished to the mountain peaks of Norway, Sweden, or Ger- 

' many, where the Brocken is pointed out as her special abode, 

and the general trysting place of her demon train on Valpurgis- 

nacht. 

Chorus of Witches. 

"On to the Brocken the witches are flocking — 
Merry meet — merry part — how they gallop and drive, 
Yellow stubble and stalk are rocking, 
And young green corn is merry alive, 
With the shapes and shadows swimming by. 
To the highest heights they fly, 
Where Sir Urian sits on high — 
Throughout and about, 
With clamor and shout, 
Drives the maddening rout, 
Over stock, over fstone ; 
Shriek, laughter' and moan, 
Before them are blown." 

"■ . Goethe's Faust (Anster's tr.). 

As the swallow, cuckoo, and cat were held sacred to Freya in 
heathen times, these creatures were supposed to have demonia- 
cal properties, and to this day witches are always depicted with 
coal-black cats close beside them.< 



CHAPTER XL 



ULLER. 



Uller, the winter-god, is the son of Sif, and the stepson of 
Thor. His father, who is never mentioned in the Northern 
sagas, must have been one of the dreaded frost The d of 
giants, for Uller loved the cold and delighted in winter, 
traveling all over the country on his broad snowshoes or glitter- 
ing skates. This god also delighted in the chase, and pursued 
his game through the Northern forests, caring but little for ice 
and snow, against which he was well protected by the thick furs 
in which he was always clad. 

As god of hunting and archery, he is represented with a quiver 
full of arrows and a huge bow, and as the yew furnishes the best 
wood for the manufacture of these weapons, it is said to have 
been his favorite tree. To have a supply of suitable wood ever 
at hand ready for use, Uller took up his abode at Ydalir, the vale 
of yews, where it was always very damp indeed. 

" Ydalir it is called, 
Where Ullr has 
Himself a dwelling made." 

SjEmund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

As winter-god, Uller, or Oiler, as he was also called, was con- 
sidered second only to Odin, whose place he usurped during his 
absence in the winter months of the year, when he exercised full 
sway over Asgard and Midgard, and even, according to some 
authorities, took possession of Frigga, Odin's wife, as in the myth 

131 



132 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

of Vili and Ve. But as Uller was very parsimonious, and never 
bestowed any gifts upon mankind, they gladly hailed the return 
of Odin, who drove his supplanter away, forcing him to take 
refuge either in the frozen North or on the tops of the Alps, 
where, if we are to believe the poets, he had built a summer 
house into which he retreated until, knowing Odin had departed 
once more, he again dared appear in the valleys. 

Uller was also considered god of death, and was supposed to 
ride in the Wild Hunt, and at times even to lead it. He is 
specially noted for his rapidity of motion, and as the snowshoes 
used in the Northern regions are made of bone and turned up 
in front like the prow of a ship, it was commonly reported that 
Uller had spoken magic runes over a piece of bone, changing it 
into a vessel, which ever after bore him over land or sea at will. 

Snowshoes being shield-shaped, and the ice with which he 
yearly enveloped the earth acting also as a shield to protect it 
from harm during the winter, won for Uller the surname of the 
shield-god, and as he was thus designated he was specially in- 
voked by all persons about to engage in a duel or in a desperate 
fight. 

In Christian times, St. Hubert, the hunter, was made to take 
his place in popular worship, and also made patron of the first 
month of the year, which was dedicated to him, and began on 
November 2 2d, as the sun passed through the constellation of 
Sagittarius, the bowman. 

In Anglo-Saxon, Uller was known as Vulder; but in some 
parts of Germany he was called Holler and considered the hus- 
band of the fair goddess Holda, whose fields he covered with a 
thick mantle of snow, to make them more fruitful when the spring 
came. 

By the Scandinavians, Uller, god of winter, was said to have 
married Skadi, Niord's divorced wife, the female personification 
of winter and cold, and their tastes were so very congenial that 
they never quarreled in the least. 

Numerous temples were dedicated to this god in the North, 



ULLER. 133 

and on his altars, as well as on those of all the other gods, lay 
a sacred ring upon which oaths were sworn. This ring was 
said to have the power of shrinking so violently worship of 
as to sever the finger of any premeditated perjurer. uiier. 

The people visited Uller's shrine, especially during the months 
of November and December, to entreat him to send a thick cov- 
ering of snow all over their lands, as earnest of a good harvest ; 
and as he was supposed to send out the glorious flashes of light, 
the aurora borealis, which illumine the Northern sky during its 
long night, he was considered very nearly akin to Balder, the 
personification of light. 

According to other authorities, Uller was considered Balder's 
special friend, principally because he too spent part of the year 
in the dismal depths of Nifl-heim, with Hel, the goddess of death. 
Uller was supposed to endure a yearly banishment thither, dur- 
ing the summer months, when he was forced to resign his sway 
over the earth to Odin, the summer god, and there Balder came 
to join him at Midsummer, the date of his disappearance from 
Asgard, for then the days began to grow shorter, and the rule of 
light (Balder) gradually yielded to the ever encroaching power 
of darkness (Hodur). 



/ 



CHAPTER XII. 



FORSETI. 



Son of Balder, god of light, and of Nanna, goddess of im- 
maculate purity, Forseti was the wisest, most eloquent, and most 
God of justice g en tle of all the gods. No sooner had his pres- 
and truth. ence b een ma d e known in Asgard than the gods 
awarded him a seat in the council hall, decreed that he should 
be patron of justice and righteousness, and gave him as abode 
the radiant palace Glitnir. This dwelling had a silver roof, sup- 
ported on pillars of gold, and shone so brightly that it could be 
seen from a great distance. 

" Glitner is the tenth ; 
It is on gold sustained, 
And also with silver decked. 
There Forseti dwells 
Throughout all time, 
And every strife allays." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Here, upon an exalted throne, Forseti, the lawgiver, sat day 
after day, settling the differences of gods and men, patiently lis- 
tening to both sides of every question, and finally pronouncing 
a sentence which was so very equitable that none ever found fault 
with his decrees. Such were this god's eloquence and his power 
of persuasion that he always succeeded in touching his hearers' 
hearts, and never failed to reconcile even the most bitter foes. 
All who left his presence were thereafter sure to live in peace, for 

134 



FORSETI. 135 

none dared break a vow once made to him, lest they should 
incur his just anger and immediately fall down dead. 

" Forsete, Balder's high-born son, 
Hath heard mine oath ; 
Strike dead, Forset', if e'er I'm won 
To break my troth." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

As god of justice and eternal law, Forseti was supposed to 
preside over every judicial assembly, was invariably appealed 
to by all who were about to undergo a trial, and it was said that 
he rarely failed to help the deserving. 

On one occasion the Frisians selected twelve of their wisest 
men, the Asegeir, or elders, and bade them collect all the laws of 
the various families and tribes composing their na- The story of 
tion, to compile from them a code which should Heligoland, 
enable them to have uniform laws throughout all the land, and 
to render justice more easily. The elders, having painstak- 
ingly finished their task of collecting this miscellaneous informa- 
tion, embarked upon a small vessel, to seek some secluded spot 
where they might hold their deliberations in peace. But no 
sooner had they pushed away from shore than a tempest arose, 
driving their vessel far out to sea and whirling it around, until 
they entirely lost their bearings. In their distress the twelve 
jurists called upon Forseti, begging him to help them reach land 
once more, and this prayer was scarcely ended when they per- 
ceived, to their utter surprise, that the vessel contained a thir- 
teenth passenger. 

Seizing the rudder, the newcomer silently brought the vessel 
around, steered it towards the place where the waves dashed 
highest, and in an incredibly short space of time brought them 
to an island, where he motioned to them to disembark. In awe- 
struck silence the twelve men obeyed ; but their surprise was 
further excited when they saw the stranger fling his battle ax at 
a distance, and a limpid spring gush forth from the spot on the 



136 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

greensward where it had struck. Imitating the stranger, all drank 
of this water without saying a word ; then they sat down in a 
circle, marveling because the newcomer resembled each one of 
them in some particular, but was still very different from them all. 

Suddenly the silence was broken, and the stranger began to 
speak in low tones, which grew firmer and louder, as he clearly 
expounded a code of laws which combined all the good points of 
the various existing regulations. This speech being finished, he 
vanished as suddenly and mysteriously as he had appeared, and 
the twelve jurists, recovering the power of speech, simultaneously 
exclaimed that Forseti himself had been among them, and had 
drawn up the code of laws by which the Frisians would hence- 
forth be ruled. In commemoration of the god's appearance 
they declared that the island upon which they stood was holy, 
and laid a solemn curse upon any who might dare to desecrate it 
f by quarrel or bloodshed. This island, known as Forseti's land or 
Heligoland (holy land), was greatly respected by all the Northern 
nations, and even the boldest vikings refrained from raiding its 
shores, lest they should suffer shipwreck or shameful death in 
punishment for this crime. 

Solemn judicial assemblies were frequently held upon this 
sacred isle, the jurists always drawing water and drinking it in 
silence, in memory of Forseti's visit there. The waters of his 
spring were, moreover, considered so holy that all who drank of 
them were pronounced sacred, and even the cattle who had tasted 
of them could not be slain. As Forseti was said to hold his 
assizes in spring, summer, and autumn, but never in winter, it soon 
became customary, in all the Northern countries, to. dispense jus- 
tice in those seasons, the people declaring that it was only when 
the light shone clearly in the heavens that right could become 
apparent to all, and that it would be utterly impossible to render 
an equitable verdict during the dark winter season. Forseti is 
seldom mentioned except in connection with Balder. He appar- 
ently has no share whatever in the closing battle in which all the 
other gods play such prominent parts. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



HEIMDALL. 



Odin was once walking along the seashore when he beheld 
nine beautiful giantesses, the wave maidens, Gialp, Greip, Egia, 
Augeia, Ulfrun, Aurgiafa, Sindur, Atla, and Iarnsaxa, sound asleep 
on the white sand. To secure possession of these charming girls 
was not much trouble for the god of the sky, who married all 
nine of them at once, and was very happy indeed when they 
simultaneously bore him a son called Heimdall. 

" Born was I of mothers nine, 
Son I am of sisters nine." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

The nine mothers now proceeded to nourish this babe on the 
strength of the earth, the moisture of the sea, and the heat of 
the sun, which singular diet proved so strengthening that the 
new god acquired his full growth in a remarkably short space of 
time, and hastened to join his father in Asgard. There he found 
the gods proudly contemplating the rainbow bridge Bifrost, which 
they had just constructed out of fire, water, and air, which three 
materials can still plainly be seen in its long arch, where glow 
the three primary colors : the red representing the fire, the blue 
the air, and the green the cool depths of the sea. 

Fearing lest their enemies, the frost giants, should make their 
way over this bridge, which, connecting heaven Guardian of the 
and earth, ended under the shade of the mighty rainbow, 
world tree Yggdrasil, close beside the fountain where Mimir kept 

i37 



138 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

guard, the gods bade the white-clad Heimdall watch it night and 

day. 

"Bifrost i' th' east shone forth in brightest green; 
On its top, in snow-white sheen, 
Heimdal at his post was seen." 

Oehlenschlager (Pigott's tr.). 

To enable their watchman to detect the approach of any- 
enemy from afar, the assembled gods gifted him with very keen 
senses, for he is said to have been able to hear the grass grow 
on the hillside, and the wool on the sheep's back, to see plainly 
one hundred miles off by night as well as by day, and to have 
required less sleep than a bird. 

" 'Mongst shivering giants wider known 
Than him who sits unmoved on high, 
The guard of heaven, with sleepless eye." 

Lay of Skirner (Herbert's tr.). 

Heimdall was further provided with a flashing sword and a 
marvelous trumpet, called Giallar-horn, which the gods bade him 
blow whenever he saw their enemies draw near, declaring that its 
sound would rouse all creatures in heaven, earth, and Nifl-heim ; 
would announce that the last day had come and that the great 
battle was about to be fought. 

" To battle the gods are called 
By the ancient 
Gjallar-horn. 
Loud blows Heimdall, 
His sound is in the air." 

S-tEMUnd's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

To keep this instrument, which was a symbol of the moon 
crescent, ever at hand, Heimdall either hung it on a branch of 
Yggdrasil above his head or sank it in the waters of Mimir's well, 
where it lay side by side with Odin's eye, which was an emblem 
of the moon at its full. 

Heimdall's palace, called Himinbiorg, was placed on the high- 



HEIMDALL. 139 

est point of the bridge, and here the gods often visited him to 
quaff the delicious mead which he set before them. 

" Tis Himminbjorg called 
Where Heimdal, they say, 
Hath dwelling and rule. 
There the gods' warder drinks, 
In peaceful old halls, 
Gladsome the good mead." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

Heimdall, always clad- in resplendent white armor, was there- 
fore called the bright god, as well as the light, innocent, and 
graceful god, all which titles he fully deserved, for he was as 
good as beautiful, and all the gods loved him. Connected on 
his mothers' side with the sea, he was sometimes counted among 
the Vanas; and as the ancient Northerners, and especially the 
Icelanders, to whom the surrounding sea appeared the most im- 
portant element, fancied that all things had risen out of it, they 
attributed to him a knowledge of all things and imagined him 

particularly wise. 

" Then said Heimdall, 
Of ^Esir the brightest — 
He well foresaw 
Like other Vanir." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

This god was further distinguished by his golden teeth, which 
flashed when he smiled, and won for him the surname of Gullin- 
tani (golden-toothed). He was also the proud possessor of a swift, 
golden-maned steed called Gull-top, which bore him to and fro 
over the quivering rainbow bridge. This he crossed many times 
a day, but particularly in the early morn, when he was considered 
a herald of the day and bore the name of Heim-dellinger. 

"Early up Bifrost 
Ran Ulfrun's son, 
The mighty hornblower 
Of Himinbiorg." 

S.<emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 



140 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Owing to his extreme acuteness of hearing, Heimdall was 
greatly disturbed one night by hearing soft, catlike footsteps in the 

Loki and direction of Freya's palace, Folkvang. Gazing 
Freya. fixedly towards that side with his eagle eyes, 

Heimdall soon perceived, in spite of the darkness, that the sound 
was produced by Loki, who stealthily entered the palace as a 
fly, stole to Freya's bedside, and strove to purloin her shining 
golden necklace Brisinga-men, the emblem of the fruitfulness 
of the earth. 

As it happened, however, the goddess had turned in her sleep 
in such a way that he could not possibly unclasp the necklace 
without awaking her. Loki stood hesitatingly by the bedside 
for a few moments, and then rapidly began to mutter the runes 
which enabled the gods to change their form at will. As he was 
doing this, Heimdall saw him shrivel up until he was changed to 
the size and form of a flea, when he crept under the bedclothes 
and bit Freya's side, thus making her change her position without 
really rousing her. 

The clasp was now free, and Loki, cautiously unfastening it, 
secured the coveted ornament, with which he proceeded to steal 
away. Heimdall immediately started out in pursuit of the mid- 
night thief, and drawing his sword from its scabbard, was about 
to cut off his head when the god suddenly transformed himself 
into a flickering blue flame. Quick as thought, Heimdall changed 
himself into a cloud and sent down a deluge of rain to quench 
the fire ; but Loki as promptly altered his form to that of a huge 
polar bear, and opened wide his jaws to swallow the water. 
Heimdall, nothing daunted, then assumed the form of a bear also, 
and fought fiercely with him ; but the combat threatening to end 
disastrously for Loki, he changed himself into a seal, and, Heim- 
dall imitating him, a last struggle took place, at the end of which 
Loki, vanquished, was forced to give up the necklace, which was 
duly restored to Freya. 

In this myth, Loki is an emblem of the drought, or of the bale- 
ful effects of the too ardent heat of the sun, which comes to rob 



HEIMDALL. 141 

the earth (Freya) of its most cherished ornament (Brisinga-men). 
Heimdall is a personification of the gentle rain and dew, which, 
after struggling for a while with his foe the drought, manages to 
conquer him and force him to relinquish his prize. 

Heimdall has several other names, among which we find those 
of Hallinskide and Irmin, for at times he takes Odin's place 
and is identified with that god, as well as with Heimdaii's 
the other sword-gods, Er, Heru, Cheru, and Tyr, names, 

who are all noted for their shining weapons. He, however, is 
most generally known as warder of the rainbow, god of heaven, y 
and of the fruitful rains and dews which bring refreshment to the 
earth. 

This god also shared with Bragi the honor of welcoming heroes 
to Valhalla, and, under the name of Riger, was considered the 
ancestor of the various classes which compose the human race, 
as is set forth in the following myth : 

" Sacred children, 
Great and small, 
Sons of Heimdall ! " 

SjEmund's Ed da (Thorpe's tr.). 

One day Heimdall left his place in Asgard to wander down 
upon the earth as the gods were wont to do. He had not gone 
very far ere he came to a poor hut on the seashore, The story of 
where he found Ai (great grandfather) and Edda Riger. 

(great grandmother), a poor but worthy couple, who hospitably 
invited him to share their meager meal of porridge. Heimdall, 
who gave his name as Riger, gladly accepted this invitation, 
and remained with them three whole days, teaching them many 
things. At the end of that time he left them to resume his jour- 
ney. Some time after his visit, Edda bore a dark-skinned, thick- 
set male child, whom she called Thrall. 

Thrall soon showed uncommon physical strength and a great 
aptitude for all heavy work ; and having attained marriageable 
age, he took to wife Thyr, a heavily built girl with sunburnt hands 



142 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

and flat feet, who labored early and late, and bore him many chil- 
dren, from whom all the Northern serfs or thralls are descended. 

" They had children, 
Lived and were happy ; 

They laid fences, 
Enriched the plow-land, 
Tended swine, 
Herded goats, 
Dug peat." 

Rigsmal (Du Chaillu's version). 

Riger, in the mean while, had pursued his journey, and leav- 
ing the barren seacoast had pushed inland, where ere long he 
came to cultivated fields and a thrifty farmhouse. He entered, 
and found An (grandfather) and Amma (grandmother), who hos- 
pitably invited him to sit down and share their plain but bounti- 
ful fare. 

Riger accepted this invitation also, remained three days with 
them, and imparted all manner of useful knowledge to his hosts. 
After his departure from their house, Amma gave birth to a blue- 
eyed sturdy boy, whom she called Karl. He soon revealed great 
skill in all agricultural pursuits, and married a buxom and thrifty 
wife named Snor, who bore him many children, from whom all 
husbandmen are descended. 

"He did grow 
And thrive well ; 
He broke oxen, 
Made plows; 
Timbered houses, 
Made barns, 
Made carts, 
And drove the plow." 

Rigsmal (Du Chaillu's version). 

After leaving the house of this second couple, Riger went on 
until he came to a hill, upon which a stately castle was perched, 



HEIMDALL. 143 

and here he was received by Fadir (father) and Modir (mother), 
who, delicately nurtured and luxuriously clad, received him cor- 
dially, and set before him dainty meats and rich wines. 

Riger tarried three days with them ere he returned to Himin- 
biorg to resume his post as guardian of the Asa-bridge ; and the 
lady of the castle bore a handsome, slenderly built little son, 
whom she called Jarl. This child early showed a great taste for 
the hunt and all manner of martial exercises, learned to under- 
stand runes, and lived to do great deeds of valor which brought 
added glory to his name and race. Having attained manhood, 
Jarl married Erria, an aristocratic, slender-waisted maiden, who 
ruled his household wisely and bore him many children, all born 
to rule, the youngest of which, Konur, became the first king of 
Denmark according to this myth, which is illustrative of the 
marked sense of caste among the Northern races. 

" Up grew 
The sons of Jarl ; 
They brake horses, 
Bent shields, 
Smoothed shafts, 
Shook ash spears. 
But Kon, the young, 
Knew runes, 
Everlasting runes 
And life runes." 

RigsmAl (Du Chaillu's version). 



CHAPTER XIV. 



HERMOD. 



Another of Odin's sons, and his special attendant, was Her- 
mod, a bright and beautiful young god, who was gifted with such 
great rapidity of motion that he was always designated as the 
swift or nimble god. 

" But there was one, the first of all the gods 
For speed, and Hermod was his name in Heaven ; 
Most fleet he was." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

As Hermod was so remarkably quick the gods usually em- 
ployed him as their messenger, and at a mere sign from Odin he 
was always ready to speed to any part of the world. As a special 
mark of favor, the king of gods gave him a magnificent corselet 
and helmet, which he often donned when he took part in war, 
and sometimes Odin intrusted to his care the precious spear Gung- 
nir, bidding him cast it over the heads of combatants about to 
engage in battle, and thus kindle their ardor into murderous fury. 

" Let us Odin pray 
Into our minds to enter; 
He gives and grants 
Gold to the deserving. 
He gave to Hermod 
A helm and corselet." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

As Hermod delighted in battle, he was often called il the valiant 
in combat," and confounded with the god of the universe, Irmin ; 

144 



HERMOD. 145 

he sometimes accompanied the Valkyrs on their ride to earth, and 
frequently escorted the warriors to Valhalla, whence he was con- 
sidered the leader of the heroic dead. 

" To him spake Hermoder and Brage : 

' We meet thee and greet thee from all, 
To the gods thou art known by thy valor, 
And they bid thee a guest to their hall.' " 

Owen Meredith. 

Hermod's distinctive attribute, besides his corselet and helmet, 
was a wand or staff called Gambantein, the emblem of his office, 
which he carried with him wherever he went. 

Once, oppressed by nameless fears for the future, Odin, seeing 
that the Norns would not answer his questions, bade Hermod don 
his armor, saddle Sleipnir, which he alone was Hermod and the 
allowed to ride, and hasten off to the land of the soothsayer. 
Finns. This people, living in the frozen regions of the pole, 
were supposed to have great occult powers, and to be able to 
call up the cold storms which swept down from the North, bring- 
ing plenty of ice and snow in their train. 

The most noted among all these conjuring Finns was Rossthiof 
(the horse thief), who was wont to entice travelers into his realm 
by magic arts, only to rob and slay them ; but although h* could 
predict the future, he was always very reluctant indeed to do so. 

Hermod, " the swift," had no sooner received Allfather's direc- 
tions than he started out, riding rapidly northward, and brandish- 
ing, instead of his own wand, Odin's runic staff, which had the 
power of dispelling all the obstacles that Rossthiof conjured 
up to hinder his advance. In spite, therefore, of phantom-like 
monsters and of invisible snares and pitfalls, Hermod safely 
reached the conjurer's abode, and when the giant began to at- 
tack him, soon mastered him, bound him hand and foot, and 
declared he would set him free only if he promised to reveal all 
that he wished to know. 

Rossthiof, seeing there was no hope of escape, pledged him- 



146 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

self to do all the god wished, and as soon as he was free began 
to mutter terrible incantations, at the mere sound of which the 
sun hid behind the clouds, the earth trembled and quivered, and 
the storm winds howled like a pack of hungry wolves. 

Pointing to the horizon, the conjurer now bade Hermod look, 
and the swift god saw a great stream of blood redden all the 
ground. While he was gazing wonderingly at this stream, a 
beautiful woman suddenly appeared^ and a moment later a little 
boy stood beside her. To the god's amazement, this child grew 
with such marvelous rapidity that he soon attained his full growth, 
and then only did Hermod notice that he fiercely brandished a 
bow and arrows. 

As Hermod was gazing fixedly upon this vision, Rossthiof 
began to speak, and declared that the stream of blood portended 
the murder of one of Odin's sons, but that if the father of the gods 
wooed and won Rinda, in the land of the Ruthenes (Russia), 
she would bear him a son who would attain his full growth in a 
few hours and would soon avenge his brother's death. 

" Rind a son shall bear, 
In the western halls : 
He shall slay Odin's son, 
When one night old." 

SiEMUND's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Satisfied with this prophecy, Hermod returned to Asgard, where 
he reported all he had seen and heard to Odin. The father of the 
gods thus definitely ascertained that he was doomed to lose a 
son by a violent death. He soon consoled himself, however, 
by the thought that another of his descendants would avenge 
the murder and thereby obtain all the satisfaction which a true 
Northerner ever required. 



CHAPTER XV. 



VIDAR. 



Odin once saw and fell in love with the beautiful giantess 
Grid, who dwelt in a cave in the desert, and, wooing her, pre- 
vailed upon her to become his wife. The offspring of this union 
between Odin (mind) and Grid (matter) was a son as strong as 
taciturn, named Vidar, whom the ancients considered a personifi- 
cation of the primeval forest or of the imperishable forces of 
Nature. 

As the gods, through Heimdall, were intimately connected with 
the sea, they were also bound by close ties to the forests and Na- 
ture in general by Vidar, surnamed " the silent," who was destined 
to survive their destruction and rule over the regenerated earth. 
This god had his habitation in Landvidi (the wide land), a palace 
decorated with green boughs and fresh flowers, situated in the 
midst of an impenetrable primeval forest where reigned the deep 
silence and solitude which he loved. 

" Grown over with shrubs 
And with high grass 
Is Vidar's wide land." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

This old Scandinavian conception of the silent Vidar is very 
grand and poetical indeed, and was inspired by the rugged North- 
ern scenery. " Who has ever wandered through such forests, in 
a length of many miles, in a boundless expanse, without a path, 
without a goal, amid their monstrous shadows, their sacred gloom, 
without being filled with deep reverence for the sublime great- 

i47 



148 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

ness of Nature above all human agency, without feeling the 

grandeur of the idea which forms the basis of Vidar's essence ? " 

Vidar was tall, well made, and handsome, had a broad-bladed 

sword, and besides his armor wore a great iron or leather shoe. 

According to some mythologists, he owed this pe- 

Vidar'sshoe. ° . J . * 

cuhar footgear to his mother Grid, who, knowing 
that he would be called upon to fight against fire on the last day, 
thought it would protect him from all injury, as her iron gauntlet 
had shielded Thor in his encounter with Geirrod. But other 
authorities state that this shoe was made of the leather scraps 
which Northern cobblers had either given or thrown away. As 
it was very important that the shoe should be large and strong 
enough to resist the Fenris wolf's sharp teeth at the last day, it 
became a matter of religious observance among Northern shoe- 
makers to give away as many odds and ends of leather as pos- 
sible. 

One day, when Vidar had joined his peers in Valhalla, they 
welcomed him gaily, for they all loved him and placed their re- 

The Noms' liance upon him, for they knew he would use his 

prophecy. g re at strength in their favor in time of need. But 
after he had quaffed the golden mead, Allfather bade him accom- 
pany him to the Urdar fountain, where the Norns were busy 
weaving their web. When questioned by Odin concerning his 
future and Vidar's destiny, the three sisters answered oracularly 
each by the following short sentences : 

" Early begun." 

" Further spun." 

" One day done." 

To which their mother, Wyrd, the primitive goddess of fate, 
added : " With joy once more won." These mysterious answers 
would have remained totally unintelligible to the gods, had she 
not gone on to explain that time progresses, that all must change, 
but that even if the father fell in the last battle, his son Vidar 
would be his avenger, and would live to rule over a regenerated 
world, after having conquered all his enemies. 






VIDAR. 149 

" There sits Odin's 
Son on the horse's back : 
He will avenge his father. " 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

At Wyrd's words the leaves of the world tree began to flutter as 
if agitated by a breeze, the eagle on its topmost bough flapped its 
wings, and the serpent Nidhug for a moment suspended its work of 
destruction at the roots of the tree. Grid, joining the father and 
son, rejoiced with Odin when she heard that their son was destined 
to survive the older gods and to rule over the new heaven and earth. 

" There dwell Vidar and Vale 
In the gods' holy seats, 
When the fire of Surt is slaked." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

Vidar, however, said not a word, but slowly wended his way 
back to his palace Landvidi, in the heart of the primeval forest, 
where, sitting down upon his throne, he pondered long about 
eternity, futurity, and infinity. If he fathomed their secrets he 
never revealed them, for the ancients averred that he was " as 
silent as the grave" — a silence which indicated that no man 
knows what awaits him in the life to come. 

Vidar was not only a personification of the imperishability of 
Nature, but he was also a symbol of resurrection and renewal, 
proving that new shoots and blossoms are always ready to spring 
forth to replace those which have fallen into decay. 

The shoe he wore was to be his defense against the wolf Fen- 
ris, who, having destroyed Odin, would turn all his wrath upon 
him, and open wide his terrible jaws to devour him. But the old 
Northerners declared that Vidar would brace the foot thus pro- 
tected against the monster's lower jaw, and, seizing the upper, 
would struggle with him until he had rent him to pieces. 

As one shoe only is mentioned in the Vidar myths, some myth- 
ologists suppose that he had but one leg, and was the personifi- 
cation of a waterspout, which would suddenly rise on the last day 
to quench the wild fire personified by the terrible wolf Fenris. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



VALI. 



Billing, the king of the Ruthenes, was greatly dismayed when 
he heard that a great force was about to invade his kingdom, for 

The wooing of ne WaS t0 ° °^ t0 ^S^ aS °^ Y 016 ' ail( ^ ^ S on V 

Rmda. child, a daughter named Rinda, although she was 

of marriageable age, obstinately refused to choose a husband 
among her many suitors, and thus give her father the assistant 
he so sorely needed. 

While Billing was musing disconsolately in his hall, a stranger 
suddenly entered his palace. Looking up, the king beheld a 
middle-aged man wrapped in a wide cloak, with a broad-brimmed 
hat drawn down over his forehead to conceal the fact that he 
had but one eye. The stranger courteously inquired the cause 
of his evident depression, and as soon as he had learned it vol- 
unteered to command the army of the Ruthenes. 

His services being joyfully accepted, Odin — for it was he — 
soon won a signal victory for the aged king, and, returning in 
triumph, asked permission to woo his daughter Rinda to be his 
wife. Billing, hoping that his daughter would lend a favorable 
ear to this suitor, who appeared very distinguished in spite of 
his years, immediately signified his consent. So Odin, still un- 
known, presented himself before the princess, who scornfully re- 
jected his proposal, and rudely boxed his ears when he attempted 
to kiss her. 

Forced to withdraw, Odin nevertheless clung to his purpose to 
make Rinda his wife, for he knew, thanks to Rossthiof's proph- 

150 



VALI. 1 5 1 

ecy, that none but she could bear the destined avenger of his 
murdered son. Assuming the form of a smith, Odin therefore 
soon came back to Billing's hall, fashioned costly ornaments of 
silver and gold, and so artfully multiplied these precious metals that 
the king joyfully acquiesced when he inquired whether he might 
pay his addresses to the princess. The smith Rosterus was, 
however, as summarily dismissed by Rinda as the successful old 
general had been ; but although his ear tingled with the force of 
her blow, he was more determined than ever to make her his wife. 
A third time Odin now presented himself before the capricious 
fair one, disguised this time as a dashing warrior, thinking a young 
soldier might perchance touch the maiden's heart ; but when he 
again attempted to kiss her, she pushed him back so suddenly 
that he stumbled and fell upon one knee. 

" Many a fair maiden, 
When rightly known, 
Towards men is fickle : 
That I experienced, 
When that discreet maiden I 
Strove to win : 
Contumely of every kind 
That wily girl 
Heaped upon me; 
Nor of that damsel gained I aught." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

This third insult so enraged Odin that he drew his magic rune 
stick out of his breast, pointed it at Rinda, and uttered such a 
terrible spell that she fell back into the arms of her attendants 
rigid and apparently lifeless. 

When Rinda came to life again, the suitor had disappeared, 
but the king discovered with great dismay that she had entirely 
lost her senses and was melancholy mad. In vain all the phy- 
sicians were summoned and all their simples tried ; the maiden 
remained as passive and sad as before, and her distracted father 
was only too glad when an old woman called Vecha, or Vak, 



152 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

appeared, offering to undertake the cure of the princess. The 
old woman, who was Odin in disguise, first prescribed a foot- 
bath for the patient ; but as this did not appear to have any very 
marked effect, she declared she would be forced to try a severe 
treatment. This could only be administered if the patient were 
intrusted to her exclusive care, securely bound so that she could 
not offer the least resistance. Billing, anxious to save his child, 
consented to all the strange attendant proposed ; and when Odin 
had thus gained full power over Rinda, he compelled her to 
marry him, releasing her from bonds and spell only when she 
had faithfully promised to be his wife. 

The prophecy made by Rossthiof was duly fulfilled, for Rinda 
bore a son named Vali (Ali, Bous, or Beav), a personification of 

the lengthening days, who grew with such marvel- 
Birth of Vali. ... . . . . . 

ous rapidity, that m the course 01 a single day he at- 
tained his full stature. Without even taking time to wash his 
face or comb his hair, this young god hastened off to Asgard with 
bow and arrow to avenge the death of Balder, god of light, by 
slaying his murderer, Hodur, the blind god of darkness. 

"But, see ! th' avenger, Vali, come, 
Sprung from the west, in Rindas' womb, 
True son of Odin ! one day's birth ! 
He shall not stop nor stay on earth 
His locks to comb, his hands to lave, 
His frame to rest, should rest it crave, 
Until his mission be complete, 
And Baldur's death find vengeance meet." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

In this myth, Rinda, a personification of the hard-frozen rind 
of the earth, resists the warm wooing of the sun, Odin, who vainly 
points out that spring is the time for warlike exploits, and offers 
the adornments of golden summer. She only yields when, after 
a shower (the footbath), a thaw set in. Conquered then by the 
sun's irresistible might, the earth yields to his embrace, is freed 
from the spell (ice) which made her hard and cold, and brings 



VALI. 153 

forth Vali the nourisher, or Bous the peasant, who emerges from 
his dark hut when the pleasant days have come. The slaying of 
Hodur by Vali is therefore emblematical of " the breaking forth 
of new light after wintry darkness." 

Vali, who ranked as one of the twelve deities occupying seats 
in the great hall of Glads-heim, shared with his father the dwell- 
ing called Valaskialf, and was destined, even before birth, to sur- 
vive the last battle and twilight of the gods, and to reign with 
Vidar over the regenerated earth. 

Vali is god of eternal light, just as Vidar of imperishable mat- 
ter ; and as beams of light were often called arrows, he is always 
represented and worshiped as an archer. For that worship of 
reason his month in Norwegian calendars is desig- Vah * 

nated by the sign of the bow, and is called Lios-beri, the light- 
bringing. As it falls between the middle of January and of 
February, the early Christians dedicated this month to St. Valen- 
tine, who was also a skillful archer, and was said, like Vali, to be 
the harbinger of brighter days, the awakener of tender sentiments, 
and the patron of all lovers. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



THE NORNS. 



The Northern goddesses of fate, who were called Norns, were 
in nowise subject to the other gods, who could neither question 
nor influence their decrees. They were three . c 'sters, probably 
descendants of the giant Norvi, from whom sprang Nott (night). 
As soon as the Golden Age was ended, and sin began to steal 
even into the heavenly homes of Asgard, the Norns made their 
appearance under the great ash Yggdrasil, and took up their 
abode near the Urdar fountain. According to some mytholo- 
gists, their purpose in coming thus was to warn the gods of future 
evil, to bid them make good use of the present, and to teach 
them wholesome lessons from the past. 

These three sisters, whose names were Urd, Verdandi, and 
Skuld, were personifications of the past, present, and future. Their 
principal occupation was to weave the web of fate ; daily to 
sprinkle the sacred tree with water from the Urdar fountain, and 
to put fresh clay around its roots, that it might remain fresh 

and ever green. 

" Thence come the maids 
Who much do know ; 
Three from the hall 
Beneath the tree ; 
One they named Was, 
And Bei7ig next, 
The third Shall be." 

The VoluspA (Henderson's tr.). 

Some authorities further state that the Norns kept watch over 
the golden apples which hung on the branches of the tree of life, 

i54 



THE NORNS. 155 

experience, and knowledge, allowing none but Idun to pick the 
fruit, which had the power of renewing the gods' youth. 

The Norns also fed and tenderly cared for the two swans 
swimming over the mirror-like surface of the Urdar fountain, 
and from this pair of birds all the swans on earth are supposed 
to be descended. At times, it is said, the Norns themselves 
adopted the swan plumage to visit the earth, or sported like mer- 
maids along the coast and in various lakes and rivers, appearing 
to mortals, from time to time, to foretell the future or give them 
valuable advice. 

The Norns sometimes wove such large webs that one of the 
weavers stood on a high mountain in the extreme east, while 
another waded far out into the western sea. The 
threads of their woof resembled cords, and varied 
greatly in hue, according to the nature of the events about to 
occur, and a black thread, tending from north to south, was in- 
variably considered an omen of death. As these sisters flashed 
the shuttle to and fro, they chanted a solemn song. They seemed 
not to weave according to their own wishes, but blindly, as if 
reluctantly executing the wishes of Orlog, the eternal law of the 
universe, an older and superior power, who apparently had neither 
beginning nor end. 

Two of the Norns, Urd and Verdandi, seemed very beneficent 
indeed, while the third relentlessly undid their work, and often, 
when it was nearly finished, tore it angrily to shreds, scattering 
the remnants to the winds of heaven. As personifications of 
time, the Norns were represented as sisters of different ages and 
characters, Urd (Wurd, weird) appearing very old and decrepit, 
continually looking backward, as if absorbed in contemplating 
past events and people ; Verdandi, the second sister, young, 
active, and fearless, looked straight before her, while Skuld, the 
type of the future, was generally represented as closely veiled, 
with head turned in the opposite direction from that where Urd 
was gazing, and holding a book or scroll which had not yet been 
opened or unrolled. 



156 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

These Norns were daily visited by the gods, who loved to con- 
sult them ; and even Odin himself frequently rode down to the 
Urdar fountain to bespeak their aid, for they generally answered 
all his questions, maintaining silence only about his own fate and 
that of his fellow gods. 

" Rode he long and rode he fast. 

First beneath the great Life Tree, 

At the sacred Spring sought he 
Urdar, Noma of the Past ; 
But her backward seeing eye 
Could no knowledge now supply. 
Across Verdandi's page there fell 
Dark shades that ever woes foretell ; 
The shadows which 'round Asgard hung 
Their baleful darkness o'er it flung; 
The secret was not written there 
Might save Valhal, the pure and fair. 
Last youngest of the sisters three, 
Skuld, Noma of Futurity, 
Implored to speak, stood silent by, — 
Averted was her tearful eye." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

Besides these three principal Norns there were many others, far 

less important, who seem to have been the guardian spirits of 

other guardian mankind, to whom they frequently appeared, lavish- 

spints. j n g a yj manner f gifts upon their favorites, and 

seldom failing to be present at births, marriages, and deaths. 

" Oh, manifold is their kindred, and who shall tell them all? 
There are they that rule o'er men folk, and the stars that rise and 
fall: 

They love and withhold their helping, they hate and refrain the blow ; 
They curse and they may not sunder, they bless and they shall not 

blend ; 
They have fashioned the good and the evil, they abide the change 

and the end." 

Sigurd the Volsung (William Morris). 



THE NORNS. 157 

On one occasion the Norns wandered off to Denmark, and 
entered the dwelling of a nobleman just as his first child came 
into the world. Entering the apartment where Story of 
the mother lay, the first Norn promised that the Nomagesta. 
child should be handsome and brave, and the second that he 
should be prosperous and a great scald — predictions which filled 
the parents' hearts with joy and greatly surprised the neighbors, 
who, crowding in to see the strangers, rudely pushed the third 
Norn off her chair. 

Angry at this insult, Skuld proudly rose and declared her sis- 
ters' gifts would be of no avail, as she decreed that the child 
should live only as long as the taper then burning near the bed- 
side. These ominous words filled the mother's heart with terror, 
and she tremblingly clasped her babe closer to her breast, for the 
taper was nearly burned out and its extinction could not be very 
far off. The eldest Norn, however, had no intention of seeing 
her prediction thus set at naught ; but as she could not force her 
sister to retract her words, she quickly seized the taper, put out 
the light, and giving the smoking stump to the child's mother, 
bade her carefully treasure it, and never light it again until her 
son was weary of life. 

" In the mansion it was night: 
The Norns came, 
Who should the prince's 
Life determine." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

This child was called Nornagesta, in honor of the Norns, and 
grew up to be as beautiful, brave, and talented as any mother 
could wish. When he was old enough to comprehend the grav- 
ity of the trust, his mother told him the story of the Norns' visit, 
and placed in his hands the candle end, which he treasured for 
many a year, placing it for safekeeping inside of the frame of 
his harp. When his parents were dead, Nornagesta wandered 
from place to place, taking part and distinguishing himself in 



158 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

every battle, singing his heroic lays wherever he went. As he 
was of an enthusiastic and poetic temperament, he did not soon 
become weary of life, and while the other heroes grew wrinkled 
and old, he remained young at heart and vigorous in frame. He 
therefore witnessed all the deeds of the heroic ages, was the boon 
companion of all the ancient warriors, and, after living three 
hundred years, saw the belief in the old heathen gods gradually 
supplanted by the teachings of Christian missionaries. Finally 
Nornagesta came to the court of King Olaf Tryggvesson, who, 
according to his usual custom, converted him almost by force, 
and made him receive baptism. Then, wishing to convince his 
people that the time for superstition was past, the king forced the 
aged scald to produce and light the taper which he had so care- 
fully guarded for more than three centuries. 

In spite of his recent conversion, Nornagesta anxiously watched 
the flame, and as it flickered and went out, he sank lifeless to the 
ground, proving that, in spite of the baptism just received, he 
still believed the words of the Norns. 

In the middle ages, and even later, the Norns figure in many 
a story or myth, appearing as fairies or witches, as, for instance, 
in the tale of " the Sleeping Beauty," and in Shakespeare's tragedy 
of " Macbeth." 

" 1st Witch. When shall we three meet again, 
In thunder, lightning, or in rain ? 
id Witch. When the hurlyburly's done, 

When the battle's lost and won : 
3d Witch. That will be ere the set of sun." 

Macbeth (Shakespeare). 

Sometimes the Norns bore the name of Vala, or prophetesses, 
for they had the power of divination — a power which was held 
in great honor by all the Northern races, who be- 
lieved it restricted to the female sex. The predic- 
tions of the Vala were never questioned, and it is even said that 
Drusus, the Roman general, was so terrified by the appearance 



THE NORNS. 159 

of Veleda, one of these women, forbidding his crossing the Elbe, 
that he actually beat a retreat. She foretold his approaching 
death, which actually happened shortly after and was occasioned 
by a fall from his steed. 

These prophetesses, who were also known as Idises, Dises, or 
Hagedises, officiated at the forest shrines and in the sacred groves, 
and always accompanied invading armies. Riding ahead, or in 
the very midst of .the host, they vehemently urged the warriors 
on to victory, and when the battle was over they often cut the 
bloody-eagle upon the captives. The blood was then collected 
into great tubs, wherein the Dises plunged their naked arms up 
to the shoulders, previous to joining in the wild dance with which 
the ceremony ended. 

These women were greatly feared, sacrifices were offered to 
propitiate them, and it was only in later times that they were de- 
graded to the rank of witches, and sent to join the demon host 
on the Brocken, or Blocksberg, on Valpurgisnacht. 

Besides the Norns or Dises, who were also regarded as pro- 
tective deities, the Northerners ascribed to each human being a 
guardian spirit named Fylgie, which attended him through life, 
either in a human or animal shape, and was invisible except at 
the moment of death by all except the initiated few. 

The allegorical meaning of the Norns and of their web of 
fate is too patent to need any explanation ; still some mycolo- 
gists have made them demons of the air, and state that their web 
was the woof of clouds, and that the bands of mists which they 
strung from rock to tree, and from mountain to mountain, were 
ruthlessly torn apart by the suddenly rising wind. Some authori- 
ties, moreover, declare that Skuld, the third Norn, was at times a 
Valkyr, and at others personated the party-colored goddess of 
death, the terrible Hel. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE VALKYRS. 



Odin's special attendants, the Valkyrs, or battle maidens, were 
either his daughters, like Brunhild, or the offspring of mortal 
kings, who were privileged to serve this god and remain immortal 
and invulnerable as long as they implicitly obeyed his orders and 
remained virgins. They and their steeds were the personification 
of the clouds, their glittering weapons being the lightning flashes. 
The ancients imagined that they swept down to earth at Val- 
father's command, to choose among the slain the heroes worthy 
to taste the joys of Valhalla, and brave enough to lend their aid 
to the gods when the great battle was to be fought. 

" There through some battlefield, where men fall fast, 
Their horses fetlock-deep in blood, they ride, 
And pick the bravest warriors out for death, 
Whom they bring back with them at night to Heaven, 
To glad the gods and feast in Odin's hall." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

These maidens, young and beautiful, with dazzling white arms 
and flowing golden hair, wore helmets of silver or gold, blood- 
red corselets, carried glittering spears and shields, and boldly 
charged hither and thither on their mettlesome white steeds. 
These horses galloped over the quivering Bifrost and through the 
realms of air, carrying not only their fair riders, but the heroes 
slain, who were thus immediately transported to Valhalla, after 
having received the Valkyrs' kiss of death. 

160 



THE VALKYRS. 161 

As the Valkyrs' steeds were also personifications of the clouds, 
the people fancied that all the hoar frost and 
dew dropped down upon earth from their glitter- 
ing manes as they rapidly dashed to and fro through the air. 

" He spake and his harp was with him, and he smote the strings full 

sweet, 
And sang of the host of tlie Valkyrs, how they ride the battle to 

meet, 
And the dew from the dear manes drippeth as they ride in the first 

of the sun, 
And the tree-boughs open to meet it when the wind of the dawning 

is done : 
And the deep dales drink its sweetness and spring into blossoming 

grass, 
And the earth groweth fruitful of men, and bringeth their glory to 

pass." 

Sigurd, the Volsung (William Morris). 

The Valkyrs were not only sent to visit the battlefields upon 
earth, but often rode over the sea, snatching the dying Vikings 
away from the sinking vessels. Sometimes they stood upon the 
strand to beckon them thither, thus warning them that the com- 
ing struggle would be their last — a warning which every North- 
ern hero received with joy. 

" Slowly they moved to the billow side ; 

And the forms, as they grew more clear, 
Seem'd each on a tall pale steed to ride, 

And a shadowy crest to rear, 
And to beckon with faint hand 
From the dark and rocky strand, 

And to point a gleaming spear. 

" Then a stillness on his spirit fell, 
Before th' unearthly train; 
For he knew Valhalla's daughters well, 
The choosers of the slain ! " 

Valkyriur Song (Mrs. Hemans) 



1 62 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

The number of Valkyrs differs greatly according to the vari- 
ous mythologists, and ranges from three to sixteen, the greater 
Their number P art °f tnem > however, naming only nine. These 

and duties. Valkyrs, also divinities of the air, were sometimes 
called Norns, or wish maidens, and Freya and Skuld were often 
supposed to lead them on to the fray. 

" She saw Valkyries 
Come from afar, 
Ready to ride 
To the tribes of god ; 
Skuld held the shield, 
Skaugul came next, 
Gunnr, Hildr, Gaundul, 
And Geir-skaugul. 
Thus now are told 
The Warrior's Norns." 

S^mumd's Edda (Henderson's tr.). 

The Valkyrs, as we have seen, were also very busy in Val- 
halla, where, having laid aside their bloody weapons, they poured 
out the heavenly mead for the Einheriar. These delighted in this 
beverage and welcomed the fair maidens as warmly as when 
they had first seen them on the battlefield and knew that their 
errand was to transport them where they fain would be. 

" In the shade now tall forms are advancing, 
And their wan hands like snowflakes in the moonlight are gleaming; 
They beckon, they whisper, " Oh ! strong Armed in Valor, 
The pale guests await thee — mead foams in Valhalla." 

Finn's Saga (Hewitt). 

The Valkyrs were also supposed to own swan plumage, in 
which they frequently flew down to earth, and which they threw 
wayiand.smith, aside when they came near a secluded stream, so 

and the Val- . 

kyrs. that they might indulge in a bath. Any mortal 

surprising them thus, and securing their plumage, could prevent 
their ever leaving the earth, and could even force these proud 
maidens to mate with him if such were his pleasure. 



THE VALKYRS. 163 

Three of the Valkyrs, Olrun, Alvit, and Svanhvit, were once 
sporting in the waters, when suddenly the three brothers Egil, 
Slagfinn, and Volund, or Wayland the smith, came upon them, 
and securing their swan guise forced them to remain upon earth 
and become their wives. The Valkyrs, thus detained upon earth, 
remained with these husbands nine years, but at the end of that 
time, recovering their plumage, or the spell being broken, they 
effected their escape. ' 

" There they stayed 
Seven winters through ; 
But all the eighth 
Were with longing seized ; 
And in the ninth 
Fate parted them. 
The maidens yearned 
For the murky wood, 
The young Alvit, 
Fate to fulfill." 

Lay of Volund (Thorpe's tr.). 

Two of the brothers, Egil and Slagfinn, were so lonely without 
their wives that, putting on their snow shoes, they went in search 
of them, disappearing in the cold and foggy regions of the North ; 
but the third brother, Volund, remained at home — knowing all 
search would be of no avail — contemplating a ring which Alvit 
had given him as a love token, and constantly hoping she would 
return. As he was a very clever smith, and could manufacture 
the most dainty ornaments of silver and gold, as well as magic 
weapons which no blow could break, he now employed his leisure 
in making seven hundred rings exactly like the one which his wife 
had given him. These he bound all together ; but one night, on 
coming home from the hunt, he found that some one had carried 
away one ring, leaving all the others behind ; so he fancied his 
wife had been there and would soon return for good. 

That selfsame night, however, he was surprised in his sleep, and 
bound and made prisoner by Nidud, King of Sweden, who took 
possession of his choicest sword, which he reserved for his own 



1 64 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

use, and of the love ring made of pure Rhine gold, which latter 
he gave to his only daughter, Bodvild. As for the unhappy V6- 
lund himself, he was led captive to a neighboring island, where, 
after having hamstrung him to prevent his escape, the king made 
him forge weapons and ornaments for his use day after day. 
He also compelled him to build an intricate labyrinth, and to 
this day a maze in Iceland is known as " Volund's house." V6- 
lund's rage and despair increased with every new insult offered 
him by Nidud. and he thought night and day how he might 
effect his revenge. During the pauses of his labor he further- 
more fashioned a pair of wings similar to those his wife had used 
as a Valkyr, which he intended to don as soon as his vengeance 
had been accomplished, to escape from the labyrinth on the isl- 
and. One day the king came to visit him, and brought him the 
stolen sword that he might repair it ; but Volund cleverly substi- 
tuted another weapon so exactly like the magic sword as to de- 
ceive the king when he came to claim it once more. A few 
days after, Volund the smith enticed the king's sons into his 
smithy, slew them, and cunningly fashioned drinking vessels for 
Nidud out of their skulls, and jewels out of their eyes and teeth, 
which he bestowed upon their mother and sister. 

"But their skulls 
Beneath the hair 
He in silver set, 
And to Nidud gave ; 
And of their eyes 
Precious stones he formed, 
Which to Nidud's 
Wily wife he sent. 
But of the teeth 
Of the two 

Breast ornaments he made, 
And to Bodvild sent." 

Lay of Volund (Thorpe's tr.). 

These gifts were joyfully accepted, as the royal family did not 
suspect whence they came ; for they fancied the youths had 



THE VALKYRS. 165 

drifted out to sea, where they had been drowned. Some time 
after this, Bodvild, wishing to have her ring repaired, also visited 
the smith's hut, where, while waiting for it, she unsuspectingly 
partook of a magic drug, which sent her to sleep and left her in 
Volund's power. His last act of vengeance accomplished, V6- 
lund donned the pair of wings which he had cunningly fash- 
ioned to effect his escape, and grasping his sword and ring slowly 
rose up in the air. H-e flew to the palace, and, perched there out 
of reach, he confessed all his crimes to Nidud. The king, beside 
himself with rage, summoned Egil, Volund's brother, who had 
also fallen into his power, and bade him use his marvelous skill 
as an archer to bring down the impudent bird. Obeying a signal 
from Volund, Egil aimed for a protuberance under his wing where 
a bladder full of the young princes' blood was concealed, and 
Volund flew triumphantly away, declaring that Odin would give 
his sword to Sigmund — a prediction which was duly fulfilled. 

Volund then went to Alf-heim, where, if the legend is to be 
believed, he found his beloved wife once more, and lived happy 
with her until the twilight of the gods. 

But, even in Alf-heim, this clever smith continued to ply his 
trade, and manufactured several suits of impenetrable armor, 
which are described in later heroic poems. Besides Balmung 
and Joyeuse, Sigmund's and Charlemagne's noted swords, he is 
reported to have fashioned Miming for his son Heime, and many 
other remarkable blades. 

"It is the mate of Miming 
Of all swerdes it is king, 
And Weland it wrought, 
Bitterfer it is hight." 

Anglo-Saxon Poetry (Coneybeare's tr.). 

There are countless other tales of swan maidens or Valkyrs, 
who are said to have consorted with mortals ; but the most popu- 
lar of all is that of Brunhild, the wife of Sigurd, a descendant of 
Sigmund and the most renowned of Northern heroes. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



HEL. 



Hel, goddess of death, was the daughter of Loki, god of evil, 

and of the giantess Angur-boda, the portender of ill. She came 

into the world in a dark cave in Jotun-heim, and 

Loki's offspring. 

was closely related to the serpent Iormungandr 
and the terrible Fenris wolf, the trio being considered the emblems 
of pain, sin, and death. 

" Now Loki comes, cause of all ill ! 
Men and JEsir curse him still. 

Long shall the gods deplore, 

Even till Time be o'er, 
His base fraud on Asgard's hill. 
While, deep in Jotunheim, most fell, 
Are Fenrir, Serpent, and Dread Hel, 
Pain, Sin, and Death, his children three, 
Brought up and cherished; thro' them he 
Tormentor of the world shall be." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

Odin, having become aware of the terrible brood which Loki 
was cherishing, resolved, as we have already seen, to banish them 
from the face of the earth. The serpent was therefore cast into 
the sea, where his writhing was supposed to cause the most ter- 
rible tempests ; the wolf Fenris was chained fast, thanks to the 
dauntless Tyr ; and Hel or Hela, the party-colored goddess of 
death, was hurled down into the depths of Nifl-heim, where Odin 
gave her power over nine worlds. 

166 



HEL. 167 

" Hela into Niflheim thou threw'st, 
And gav'st her nine unlighted worlds to rule, 
A queen, and empire over all the dead." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

This realm, which was supposed to be situated under the earth, 
could only be entered after a painful journey over the roughest 
roads in the cold, dark regions of the extreme Hel , s kingdom 
North. The gate was so far from all human abode in Nlfl - heim - 
that even Hermod the swift, mounted upon Sleipnir, had to 
journey nine long nights ere he reached the river Gioll. This 
formed the boundary of Nifl-heim, over which was thrown a bridge 
of crystal arched with gold, hung on a single hair, and constantly 
guarded by the grim skeleton Modgud, who made every spirit 
pay a toll of blood ere she would allow it to pass. 

" The bridge of glass hung on a hair 
Thrown o'er the river terrible, — 
The Gioll, boundary of Hel. 
Now here the maiden Modgud stood, 
Waiting to take the toll of blood, — 
A maiden horrible to sight, 
Fleshless, with shroud and pall bedight." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

The spirits generally rode or drove across this bridge on the 
horses or in the wagons which had been burned upon the funeral 
pyre with the dead to serve that purpose, and the Northern races 
were very careful to bind upon the feet of the departed a spe- 
cially strong pair of shoes, called Hel shoes, that they might not 
suffer during the long journey over rough roads. Soon after the 
Giallar bridge was passed, the spirit reached the Ironwood, where 
stood none but bare and iron-leafed trees, and, passing through 
it, reached Hel-gate, beside which the fierce, blood-stained dog 
Garm kept constant watch, cowering in a dark hole known as 
the Gnipa cave. This monster's rage could only be appeased by 
the offering of a Hel-cake, which never failed those who had ever 
given bread to the needy. 



1 68 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

" Loud bays Garm 
Before the Gnipa cave." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Within the gate, amid the intense cold and impenetrable dark- 
ness, was heard the seething of the great caldron Hvergelmir, 
the rolling of the glaciers in the Elivagar and other streams of 
Hel, among which were the Leipter, by which solemn oaths 
were sworn, and the Slid, in whose turbid waters naked swords 
continually rolled. 

Further on in this grewsome place was Elvidner (misery), the 
hall of the goddess Hel, whose dish was Hunger. Her knife was 
Greed. " Idleness was the name of her man, Sloth of her maid, 
Ruin of her threshold, Sorrow of her bed, and Conflagration of 
her curtains." 

" Elvidner was Hela's hall. 

Iron-barred, with massive wall; 

Horrible that palace tall ! 

Hunger was her table bare; 

Waste, her knife ; her bed, sharp Care ; 

Burning Anguish spread her feast ; 

Bleached bones arrayed each guest; 

Plague and Famine sang their runes, 

Mingled with Despair's harsh tunes. 

Misery and Agony 

E'er in Hel's abode shall be ! " 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

This goddess had many different abodes for the guests who 
daily came to her, for she received not only perjurers and crimi- 
nals of all kinds, but also all those who were unfortunate enough 
to die without shedding blood. To her realm also were con- 
signed all those who died of old age or disease — a mode of 
decease which was contemptuously called " straw death," as the 
beds of the people were generally of that material. 

" Temper'd hard by frost, 
Tempest and toil their nerves, the sons of those 
Whose only terror was a bloodless death." 

Thomson. 



II EL. 169 

Although the innocent were treated kindly by Hel, and enjoyed 
a state of negative bliss, it is no wonder that the inhabitants of 
the North shrank from the thought of visiting her Ideas of the 
cheerless abode. And while the men preferred to futur e life, 
mark themselves with the spear points, to hurl themselves down 
from a precipice, or to be burned ere life was quite extinct, the 
women did not shrink from equally heroic measures. In the 
extremity of their sorrow, they did not hesitate to fling them- 
selves down a mountain side, or fall upon the swords which were 
given them at their marriage, so that their bodies might be burned 
with those whom they loved and their spirits permitted to join 
them in the bright home of the gods. 

Further horrors, however, awaited those whose lives had been 
criminal or impure, for they were banished to Nastrond, the 
strand of corpses, where they waded in ice-cold streams of ven- 
om, through a cave made of wattled serpents, whose poisonous 
fangs were all turned towards them. After suffering untold 
agonies there, they were washed down into the caldron Hvergel- 
mir, where the serpent Nidhug ceased for a moment gnawing the 
root of the tree Yggdrasil to feed upon their bones. 

" A hall standing 
Far from the sun 
In Nastrond ; 

Its doors are northward turned, 
Venom-drops fall 
In through its apertures; 
Entwined is that hall 
With serpents' backs. 
She there saw wading 
The sluggish streams 
Bloodthirsty men 
And perjurers, 

And him who the ear beguiles 
Of another's wife. 
There Nidhog sucks 
The corpses of the dead." 

SvEMund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 



170 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Hel herself was supposed occasionally to leave her dismal 

abode to range the earth upon her three-legged white horse, and 

Pestilence and m ti mes oi pestilence or famine she was said to 

famine. use a Ia ^ e if a p ar t f t ne inhabitants escaped, 

and a broom when whole villages and provinces were depopulated, 

as was the case during the historical epidemic of the Black Death. 

The Northern races further fancied that the spirits of the dead 
were sometimes allowed to revisit the earth and appear to their 
relatives, whose sorrow or joy affected them even after death, as 
is proved by the Danish ballad of Aager and Else, where a dead 
lover bids his sweetheart smile, so that his coffin may be filled 
with roses instead of the clotted blood drops produced by her 

tears. 

" ' Listen now, my good Sir Aager ! 
Dearest bridegroom, all I crave 
Is to know how it goes with thee 
In that lonely place, the grave ? ' 

" ' Every time that thou rejoicest, 
And art happy in thy mind, 
Are my lonely grave's recesses 
All with leaves of roses lined. 

" ' Every time that, love, thou grievest, 
And dost shed the briny flood, 
Are my lonely grave's recesses 

Filled with black and loathsome blood.' " 

Ballad of Aager and Eliza (Longfellow's tr.). 



CHAPTER XX. 



jEGIR. 



Besides Niord and Mimir, who were both ocean divinities, the 
one representing the sea near the coast and the other the pri- 
meval ocean whence all things were supposed to God of the 
have sprung, the Northern races recognized another sea * 

sea-ruler, called JEgir or Hler, who dwelt either in the cool depths 
of his liquid realm or had his abode on the Island of Lessoe, in 
the Cattegat, or Hlesey. 

" Beneath the watery dome, 
With crystalline splendor, 
In radiant grandeur, 
Upreared the sea-god's home. 
More dazzling than foam of the waves 
E'er glimmered and gleamed thro' deep caves 
The glistening sands of its floor, 
Like some placid lake rippled o'er." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

JEgir (the sea), like his brothers Kari (the air) and Loki (fire), 
is supposed to have belonged to an older dynasty of the gods, for 
he ranked neither with the vEsir, the Vanas, the giants, dwarfs, 
nor elves, but was considered omnipotent within his realm. 

He was supposed to occasion and quiet the great tempests 
which swept over the deep, and was generally represented as 
a gaunt old man, with long white beard and hair, his clawlike 
fingers ever clutching convulsively, as though he longed to have 
all things within his grasp. Whenever he appeared above the 

171 



172 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

waves, it was only to take fiendish delight in pursuing and over- 
turning vessels, which he greedily dragged down to the bottom 
of the sea. 

JEgir was mated with his sister, the goddess Ran, whose name 
means " robber," and who was as cruel, greedy, and insatiable as 
her husband. Her favorite pastime was lurking 
near dangerous rocks, whither she enticed mari- 
ners. There she spread her net, her most prized possession, and, 
having entangled the men in its meshes and broken their vessels 
on the jagged cliffs, she calmly drew them down into her cheerless 
realm. 

" In the deep sea caves 
By the sounding shore, 
In the dashing waves 

When the wild storms roar, 
In her cold green bowers 
In the Northern fiords, 
She lurks and she glowers, 
She grasps and she hoards, 
And she spreads her strong net for her prey." 

Story of Siegfried (Baldwin). 

Ran was therefore also considered the goddess of death for all 
who perished at sea, and the Northern nations fancied that she 
entertained the drowned in her coral caves, where her couches 
were spread to receive them, and where the mead flowed freely 
as in Valhalla. The goddess was further supposed to have a great 
affection for gold, which was called the " flame of the sea," and 
was used to illuminate her halls. This belief originated when 
the sailors first noticed the well-known phosphorescent gleams in 
the deep, and to win Ran's good graces, they were careful to 
hide some gold about them whenever any special danger threat- 
ened them on the sea. 

" Gold, on sweetheart ramblings, 
Pow'rful is and pleasant; 
Who goes empty-handed 
Down to sea-blue Ran, 



sEGIR. 173 

Cold her kisses strike, and 
Fleeting her embrace is — 
But we ocean's bride be- 
Troth with purest gold." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

^Egir and Ran had nine beautiful daughters, the Waves, or 
billow maidens, whose snowy arms and bosoms, long golden 
hair, deep-blue eyes, and willowy, sensuous forms 

... . The Waves. 

were fascinating in the extreme. These maidens 
delighted in playing all over the surface of their father's vast 
domain, lightly clad in transparent blue, white, or green veils. 
They were very moody and capricious damsels, however, varying 
from playful to sullen and apathetic moods, and at times exciting 
one another almost to madness, tearing their hair and veils, fling- 
ing themselves recklessly upon their hard beds, the rocks, chasing 
one another with frantic haste, and shrieking aloud with joy or 
despair. These maidens, however, seldom came out to play 
unless their brother, the Wind, were abroad, and according to his 
mood they were gentle and playful, or rough and boisterous. 

The Waves were generally supposed to go about in triplets, and 
were often said to play around the ships of vikings whom they 
favored, smoothing away every obstacle from their course, and 
helping them speedily to reach their goal. 

" And ^Eger's daughters, in blue veils dight, 
The helm leap round, and urge it on its flight." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

In Anglo-Saxon the sea-god yEgir was known by the name 
of Eagor, and whenever an unusually large wave came thunder- 
ing towards the shore, the sailors were wont to cry, mgir > s brewing 
as the Trent boatmen still do, " Look out, Eagor is kettle, 

coming ! " He was also known by the name of Hler (the shel- 
terer) among the Northern nations, and of Gymir (the concealer), 
because he was always ready to hide things in the depths of 
his realm, never revealing the secrets intrusted to his care. Aad, 



174 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

because the waters of the sea were frequently said to seethe and 
hiss, the ocean was often called ^Egir's brewing kettle or vat. 

His two principal servants, noted for their quickness, were Elde 
and Funfeng, emblems of the phosphorescence of the sea ; they 
invariably waited upon the guests whom he invited to his ban- 
quets in the depths of the sea. yEgir sometimes left his realm 
to visit the ^Esir in Asgard, where he was royally entertained, 
and took special pleasure in Bragi's tales of the various adven- 
tures and achievements of the gods. Excited by the sparkling 
mead and by these tales, the god on one occasion ventured to 
invite all the zEsir to celebrate the harvest feast with him in 
Hlesey, where he promised to entertain them in his turn. 

Surprised at this invitation, one of them ventured to remind 
iEgir that the gods were accustomed to dainty fare ; but the 
Thor and &°d °^ ^ ie sea declared that as far as eating was 
Hymir. concerned they need have no care, as he was sure 

he could cater to the most fastidious appetites ; but he confessed 
that he was not so confident about drink, as his brewing kettle 
was rather small. Hearing this, Thor immediately volunteered to 
procure a suitable kettle, and set out with Tyr to obtain it. The 
two gods journeyed east of the Elivagar in Thor's goat chariot, 
left this conveyance at the house of the peasant Egil, Thialfi's 
father, and wended their way on foot to the dwelling of the giant 
Hymir, who, they knew, owned a kettle one mile deep and propor- 
tionately wide. 

" There dwells eastward 

Of Elivagar 

The all- wise Hymir, 

At heaven's end. 

My sire, fierce of mood, 

A kettle owns, 

A capacious cauldron, 

A rast in depth." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Only the women were at home, however, and Tyr recognized in 
the eldest — an ugly old hag with nine hundred heads — his own 



jEGIR. 175 

grandmother, while the youngest, a beautiful young giantess, his 
mother, hospitably received him and his companion and gave 
them a drink. 

After learning their errand, this woman bade Tyr and Thor 
hide under some huge kettles resting upon a beam at the end of 
the hall, for her husband Hymir was very hasty and often slew 
his would-be guests with a single baleful glance. The gods had 
no sooner followed her advice than the old giant Hymir came 
in. When his wife told him that visitors had come, he frowned 
so portentously, and flashed such a wrathful look towards their 
hiding place, that the rafter split and the kettles fell with a crash, 
and were all dashed to pieces with the exception of the largest. 

" In shivers flew the pillar 
At the Jotim's glance ; 
The beam was first 
Broken in two. 
Eight kettles fell, 
But only one of them, 
A hard-hammered cauldron, 
Whole from the column." 

S/emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

The giant's wife, however, prevailed upon him to welcome Tyr and 
Thor, and slay three oxen for their refection ; but he was greatly 
dismayed to see the thunder-god eat two of these for his supper. 
Muttering that he would have to go fishing early the next morn- 
ing to secure a breakfast for such a voracious guest, the giant 
fell asleep. When he went down to the shore at dawn the next 
day, he was joined by Thor, who declared he would help him. As 
the giant bade him secure his own bait for fishing, Thor coolly 
slew his host's largest ox, Himinbrioter (heaven breaker), cut off 
its head, and, embarking with it, proceeded to row far out to sea. 
In vain Hymir protested that his usual fishing ground had been 
reached, and that they might encounter the terrible Midgard snake 
were they to venture any farther — Thor persistently rowed on, 
until he fancied they were directly above this monster. 



176 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

" On the dark bottom of the great salt lake, 
Imprisoned lay the giant snake, 
With naught his sullen sleep to break." 

Thor's Fishing, Oehlenschlager (Pigott's tr.). 

Baiting his powerful hook with the ox head, Thor angled for 
Iormungandr, while the giant drew up two whales, which seemed 
enough for an early morning's meal. 

As Hymir was about to propose a return, Thor suddenly felt 
a jerk, and began pulling as hard as he could, for he knew by 
the resistance of his prey, and the terrible storm lashed up by its 
writhings, that he had hooked the Midgard snake. In his deter- 
mined efforts to force him to rise to the surface, Thor braced 
his feet so strongly against the bottom of the boat that he went 
through it and stood on the bed of the sea. 

After an indescribable struggle, the monster's terrible venom- 
breathing head appeared, and Thor, seizing his hammer, was 
about to annihilate it when the giant, frightened by the proximity 
of Iormungandr, and fearing lest the boat should sink and he 
become its prey, drew his knife, cut the fishing line, and thus 
allowed the monster to drop back like a stone to the bottom of 
the sea. 

" The knife prevails: far down beneath the main 
The serpent, spent with toil and pain, 
To the bottom sank again." 

Thor's Fishing, Oehlenschlager (Pigott's tr.). 

Angry with Hymir for his inopportune interference, Thor dealt 
him a blow with his hammer which knocked him overboard ; but 
Hymir, undismayed, waded ashore, and met him as he returned 
to the beach. Hymir then took both whales, his share of the 
fishing, upon his back, to carry them to the house ; and Thor, 
wishing to show his strength also, shouldered boat, oars, and fish- 
ing tackle, and followed him. 

Breakfast being disposed of, Hymir challenged Thor to show 
his strength by breaking his goblet; but although the thunder- 
god threw it with irresistible force against stone pillars and walls, 



ALGIR. 177 

it remained whole and was not even bent. In obedience to a 
whisper from Tyr's mother, however, Thor suddenly hurled it 
against the giant's forehead, the only substance tougher than 
itself, where it was shivered to pieces. Hymir, having thus seen 
what Thor could do, told him he might have the required kettle, 
which Tyr vainly tried to lift, and which Thor could raise from 
the floor only after he had drawn his belt of strength up to the 

very last hole. 

" Tyr twice assayed 
To move the vessel, 
Yet at each time 
Stood the kettle fast. 
Then Modi's father 
By the brim grasped it, 
And trod through 
The dwelling's floor." 

Lay of Hymir (Thorpe's tr.). 

The wrench with which he pulled it up, however, greatly shat- 
tered the giant's house and broke his floor to pieces. As Tyr 
and Thor were departing, the latter having clapped the huge pot 
on his head in the guise of a hat, Hymir summoned the other 
frost giants, and proposed that they should slay their inveterate 
foe. Before they could overtake him, Thor, turning around, be- 
came aware of their pursuit, and, hurling Miolnir repeatedly at 
them, slew them all ere he carried the kettle in triumph to ^Egir 
to enable him to brew enough ale for the harvest feast. 

The physical explanation of this myth is, of course, a thunder 
storm (Thor), in conflict with the raging sea (the Midgard snake), 
and the breaking up of the polar ice (Hymir's goblet and floor) 
in the heat of summer. 

The gods now joyfully accepted ^gir's invitation to be pres- 
ent at his feast, went there in festive array, and were ever after 
wont.to celebrate the harvest home in his coral caves. 

" Then Vans and y£sir, mighty gods, 
Of earth and air, and Asgard, lords, — 



/ 



178 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Advancing with each goddess fair, 
A brilliant retinue most rare, — 
Attending mighty Odin, swept 
Up wave-worn aisle in radiant march." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

^Egir, as we have seen, ruled over all the sea with the help of 
the treacherous Ran. Both of these divinities were considered 
cruel by the Northern nations, who had much to suffer from the 
sea, which, surrounding them on all sides, ran far into the heart 
of their countries by means of the numerous fiords, and often 
swallowed the ships of their vikings, with all the men on board. 

" We Goth-folk know indeed 
That the sea is a foe full deadly, and a friend that fails at need, 
And that Ran, who dwells thereunder, will many a man beguile." 

Sigurd the Volsung (William Morris). 

Besides these principal divinities of the sea, the Northern na- 
tions believed in mermen and mermaids, the latter having swan 
other divinities plumage or seal garments, which they sometimes 

of the sea. \&\& for a moment upon the beach, and if a mortal 
secured them he could compel the fair maidens to remain ashore. 

" She came through the waves when the fair moon shone 
(Drift o' the wave and foam o' the sea) ; 
She came where I walked on the sands alone, 
With a heart as light as a heart may be. ,: 



L. E. R. 



There were also malignant marine monsters who were known as 
Nicors, from whose name has been derived the proverbial Old 
Nick. Many of the lesser water divinities had fish tails ; the 
females bore the name of Undines, and the males of Stromkarls, 
Nixies, Necks, or Neckar. These water spirits often left their 
native streams, especially during the middle ages, to appear at 
village dances, where they were recognized by the wet hem of 
their garments. They often sat beside the flowing brook or river, 
playing on a harp, or sang alluring songs while combing out their 
long golden or green hair. 



^LGIR. 179 

" The Neck here his harp in the glass castle plays, 
And mermaidens comb out their green hair always, 
And bleach here their shining white clothes." 

Stagnelius (Keightley's tr.). 

The Nixies, Undines, and Stromkarls were particularly gentle and 
lovable beings, and were very anxious indeed to obtain repeated 
assurances of their ultimate salvation. 

Many stones are therefore told of priests or children meeting 
these spirits playing by a stream, and taunting them with future 
damnation, which threat turned the joyful music to pitiful wails. 
But when priest or children, discovering their mistake, hastened 
back to the stream and assured the green-toothed water sprites of 
future redemption, they invariably resumed their happy strain. 

" Know you the Nixies, gay and fair ? 
Their eyes are black, and green their hair — 
They lurk in sedgy shores." 

Mathisson. 

Besides Elf or Elb, the water sprite who gave its name to the 
Elbe River in Germany, the Neck, from whom the Neckar 
derives its name, and old Father Rhine, with his 

River nymphs. 

numerous daughters (tributary streams), the most 
famous of all the lesser water divinities is the Lorelei, the siren 
maiden who sits upon the Lorelei rock near St. Goar, on the 
Rhine, and whose alluring song has enticed many a mariner to 
death. The legends concerning this siren are very numerous in- 
deed, one of the most ancient being as follows : 

Lorelei was an immortal, a water nymph, daughter of old 
Father Rhine; during the day she dwelt in the cool depths of 
the river bed, but late at night she appeared in the moonlight, 
sitting aloft upon a pinnacle of rock, in full view of all who 
passed up or down the stream. At times, the evening breeze 
wafted some of the notes of her song to the boatmen's ears, when, 
forgetting time and place in listening to these enchanting melo- 
dies, they drifted upon the sharp and jagged rocks, where they 
invariably perished. 



180 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

" Above the maiden sitteth, 

A wondrous form, and fair ; 
With jewels bright she plaiteth 

Her shining golden hair : 
With comb of gold prepares it, 

The task with song beguiled ; 
A fitful burden bears it — 

That melody so wild. 

" The boatman on the river 

Lists to the song, spell-bound ; 
Oh ! what shall him deliver 

From danger threat'ning round? 
The waters deep have caught them, 

Both boat and boatman brave ; 
'Tis Loreley's song hath brought them 

Beneath the foaming wave." 

Song, Heine (Selcher's tr.). 

One person only is reported to have seen the Lorelei close by, 
a young fisherman fromOberwesel, who met her every evening 
The Lorelei and ^Y tne riverside, and spent a few delightful hours 
the fisherman. ^^ j^^ (] rm ^ m g f n ner beauty and. listening to 
her entrancing song. Tradition further relates that ere they parted 
the Lorelei invariably pointed out the places where the youth 
must cast his nets on the morrow — instructions which he always 
obeyed, and which invariably brought him success. 

One night the young fisherman was seen going towards the 
river, but as he never returned search was made for him. No 
clew to his whereabouts being found, the credulous Germans 
finally reported that the Lorelei had dragged him down to her 
coral caves that she might enjoy his companionship forever. 

According to another version, the Lorelei, perching on the 
rocks above, and luring the fishermen by her songs, caused so 
many deaths that an armed force was once sent out at nightfall 
to surround and seize her. But the water nymph used her magic 
to lay such a powerful spell upon the captain and his men that 
they could move neither hand nor foot. While they stood mo- 



,■ 




sMw"" 



LORELEI AND THE FISHERMAN.— Paul Thumani 



MGIR. 181 

tionless around her, the Lorelei divested herself of all her orna- 
ments, which she flung into the waves below ; then, chanting a 
spell, she lured the waters up to the top of the rock, and the sol- 
diers saw her spring into a sea-green chariot drawn by white- 
maned steeds, and drive rapidly away. A few moments later the 
Rhine had subsided to its usual level, the spell was broken, and 
the men recovered the power of motion, and retreated to an- 
nounce how their efforts had been baffled. Since then, however, 
the Lorelei has never been seen, and the peasants declare that 
she still resents the insult offered her and will no longer leave her 
coral caves. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



BALDER. 



Odin and Frigga, we are told, were parents of twin sons as 
dissimilar in character and physical appearance as it was possible 
to be ; for while Hodur, god of darkness, was somber, taciturn, 
and blind, like the obscurity of sin, which he was supposed to 
symbolize, Balder, the beautiful, was the pure and radiant god of 
innocence and light. The snowy brow and golden locks of this 
Asa seemed to send out beams of sunshine to gladden the hearts 
of gods and men, by whom he was equally beloved. 

"Of all the twelve round Odin's throne, 
Balder, the Beautiful, alone, 
The Sun-god, good, and pure, and bright, 
Was loved by all, as all love light. " 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

Balder, attaining his full growth with marvelous rapidity, was 
admitted to the council of the gods, and married Nanna (blossom), 
the daughter of Nip (bud), a beautiful and charm- 
ing young goddess, with whom he lived in perfect 
unity and peace. He took up his abode in the palace of Breida- 
blik, whose silver roof rested upon golden pillars, and whose 
purity was such that nothing common or unclean was ever al- 
lowed within its precincts. 

The god of light was well versed in the science of runes which 
were carved on his tongue ; he knew the various virtues of the 
simples, one of which, the camomile, was always called " Balder's 
brow," because its flower was just as immaculately pure as his 



BALDER. 183 

forehead. The only thing hidden from Balder's radiant eyes, at 
first, was the perception of his own ultimate fate. 

" His own house 
Breidablik, on whose columns Balder graved 
The enchantments that recall the dead to life. 
For wise he was, and many curious arts, 
Postures of runes, and healing herbs he knew; 
Unhappy ! but that art he did not know, 
To keep his own life safe, and see the sun." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

As Balder the beautiful was always smiling and happy, the 
gods were greatly troubled when they finally saw the light die out 
of his blue eyes, a careworn look come into his face, and his step 
grow heavy and slow. Odin and Frigga, seeing their beloved 
son's evident depression, tenderly implored him to reveal the 
cause of his silent grief. Balder, yielding at last to their anxious 
entreaties, confessed that his slumbers, instead of being peaceful 
and restful as of yore, had been strangely troubled of late by 
dark and oppressive dreams, which, although he could not clearly 
remember them when he awoke, constantly haunted him with a 
vague feeling of fear. 

" To that god his slumber 
Was most afflicting ; 
His auspicious dreams 
Seemed departed." 

Lay of Vegtam (Thorpe's tr.). 

When Odin and Frigga heard this, they were troubled indeed, 
but declared they were quite sure nothing would harm their son, 
who was so universally beloved. Yet, when the anxious father 
and mother had returned home, they talked the matter over, 
acknowledged that they also were oppressed by strange fore- 
bodings, and having learned from the giants that Balder really 
was in danger, they proceeded to take measures to avert it. 

Frigga, therefore, sent out her servants in every direction, bid- 
ding them make all living creatures, all plants, metals, stones — 



1 84 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

in fact, every animate and inanimate thing — register a solemn 
vow not to do any harm to Balder. All creation readily took 
the oath, for all things loved the radiant god, and basked in the 
light of his smile. So the servants soon returned to Frigga, tell- 
ing her that all had been duly sworn except the mistletoe, growing 
upon the oak stem at the gate of Valhalla, which, they added, 
was such a puny, inoffensive thing that no harm could be feared 
from it. 

" On a course they resolved : 

That they would send 

To every being, 

Assurance to solicit, 

Balder not to harm. 

All species swore 

Oaths to spare him ; 

Frigg received all 

Their vows and compacts." 

S/emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Frigga now resumed her spinning with her usual content, for 
she knew no harm could come to the child she loved best of 
The vaia's au - Odin, in the mean while, also sorely troubled, 
prophecy. an( j w f snm g to ascertain whether there was any 
cause for his unwonted depression, resolved to consult one of the 
dead Valas or prophetesses. He therefore mounted his eight- 
footed steed Sleipnir, rode over the tremulous bridges Bifrost and 
Giallar, came to the entrance of Nifl-heim, and, passing the Hel- 
gate and the dog Garm, penetrated into Hel's dark abode. 

" Uprose the king of men with speed, 
And saddled straight his coal-black steed ; 
Down the yawning steep he rode, 
That leads to Hela's drear abode." 

Descent of Odin (Gray). 

To his surprise, he noticed that a feast was being spread in 
this dark realm, and that the couches had all been covered with 
tapestry and rings of gold, as if some highly honored guest were 



BALDER. 185 

expected before long. Hastening on, Odin finally reached the 
grave where the Vala had rested undisturbed for many a year, 
and solemnly began to chant the magic spell and trace the runes 
which had the power of raising the dead. 

"Thrice pronounc'd, in accents dread, 
The thrilling verse that wakes the dead : 
Till from out the hollow ground 
Slowly breatbi'd a sullen sound." 

Descent of Odin (Gray). 

Suddenly the grave opened, and the prophetess slowly rose, 
inquiring who he was and why he thus came to trouble her long 
rest. Odin, not wishing her to know that he was king of the 
gods, replied that he was Vegtam, Valtam's son, and that he had 
awakened her to inquire for whom Hel was spreading her couches 
and preparing a festive meal. In hollow tones, the prophetess 
now confirmed all his fears by telling him that the expected guest 
was Balder, who would shortly be slain by Hodur, his brother, 
the blind god of darkness. 

" Hodur will hither 
His glorious brother send ; 
He of Balder will 
The slayer be, 
And Odin's son 
Of life bereave. 

By compulsion I have spoken; 
Now I will be silent." 

S^mund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

But in spite of these sad tidings, and of the Vala's evident re- 
luctance to answer any other questions, Odin was not yet satis- 
fied, and forced her to tell him who would avenge the murdered 
man by calling his assassin to account — a spirit of revenge and 
retaliation being considered a sacred duty among the races of 
the North. 

Then the prophetess told him, as Rossthiof had predicted be- 
fore, that Rinda, the earth-goddess, would bear a son to Odin, 



1 86 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

and that this divine emissary, Vali, would neither wash his face 
nor comb his hair until he had avenged Balder and slain Hodur. 

"In the caverns of the west, 
By Odin's fierce embrace comprest, 
A wondrous boy shall Rinda bear, 
Who ne'er shall comb his raven hair, 
Nor wash his visage in the stream, 
Nor see the sun's departing beam, 
Till he on Hoder's corse shall smile 
Flaming on the fun'ral pile." 

Descent of Odin (Gray). 

Having discovered this from the reluctant Vala, Odin, who, 
thanks to his visit to the Urdar fountain, already knew much of 
the future, now incautiously revealed some of his knowledge by 
inquiring who would refuse to weep at Balder's death. When 
the prophetess heard this question, she immediately knew that it 
was Odin who had called her out of her grave, and, refusing to 
speak another word, she sank back into the silence of the tomb, 
declaring that none would ever be able to lure her out again until 
the end of the world had come. 

" Hie thee hence, and boast at home, 
That never shall inquirer come 
To break my iron sleep again, 
Till Lok has burst his tenfold chain ; 
Never, till substantial Night 
Has reassum'd her ancient right : 
Till wrapt in flames, in ruin hurl'd, 
Sinks the fabric of the world. " 

Descent of Odin (Gray). 

Odin had questioned the greatest prophetess the world had ever 
known, and had learned Orlog's (fate's) decrees, which he knew 
could not be set aside. He therefore remounted his steed, and 
sadly wended his way back to Asgard, thinking of the time, no 
longer far distant, when his beloved son would no more be seen 
in the heavenly abodes, and when the light of his presence would 
have vanished forever. 



BALDER. 187 

On entering Glads-heim, however, Odin was somewhat cheered 
when he heard of the precautions taken by Frigga to insure their 
darling's safety, and soon, feeling convinced that if nothing would 
slay Balder he would surely continue to gladden the world with 
his presence, he cast aside all care and ordered games and a 
festive meal. 

The gods resumed their wonted occupations, and were soon 
casting their golden disks on the green plain of Ida, which was 
called Idavold, the playground of the gods. At The ds at 
last, wearying of this pastime, and knowing that play * 

no harm could come to their beloved Balder, they invented a new 
game and began to use him as a target, throwing all manner of 
weapons and missiles at him, certain that no matter how cleverly 
they tried, and how accurately they aimed, the objects, having 
sworn not to injure him, would either glance aside or fall short. 
This new amusement was so fascinating that soon all the gods 
were assembled around Balder, at whom they threw every avail- 
able thing, greeting each new failure with prolonged shouts of 
laughter. These bursts of merriment soon excited the curiosity 
of Frigga, who sat spinning in Fensalir ; and seeing an old woman 
pass by her dwelling, she bade her pause and tell what the gods 
were doing to provoke such great hilarity. The old woman, who 
was Loki in disguise, immediately stopped at this appeal, and told 
Frigga that all the gods were throwing stones and blunt and 
sharp instruments at Balder, who stood smiling and unharmed in 
their midst, daring them to touch him. 

The goddess smiled, and resumed her work, saying that it was 
quite natural that nothing should harm Balder, as all things loved 
the light, of which he was the emblem, and had solemnly sworn 
not to injure him. Loki, the personification of fire, Was greatly 
disappointed upon hearing this, for he was jealous of Balder, the 
sun, who so entirely eclipsed him and was generally beloved, while 
he was feared and avoided as much as possible ; but he cleverly 
concealed his chagrin, and inquired of Frigga whether she were 
quite sure that all objects had joined the league. 



1 88 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Frigga proudly answered that she had received the solemn oath 
of all things, except of a harmless little parasite, the mistletoe, 
which grew on the oak near Valhalla's gate, and was too small 
and weak to be feared. Having obtained the desired informa- 
tion, Loki toddled off ; but as soon as he was safely out of sight, 
he resumed his wonted form, hastened to Valhalla, found the 
oak and mistletoe indicated by Frigga, and by magic arts com- 
pelled the parasite to assume a growth and hardness hitherto 
unknown. 

From the wooden stem thus produced he deftly fashioned a 
shaft ere he hastened back to Idavold, where the gods were still 

Death of hurling missiles at Balder, Hodur alone leaning 
Balder. mournfully against a tree, and taking no part in 
the new game. Carelessly Loki approached him, inquired the 
cause of his melancholy, and twitted him with pride and indiffer- 
ence, since he would not condescend to take part in the new 
game. In answer to these remarks, Hodur pleaded his blind- 
ness ; but when Loki put the mistletoe in his hand, led him into 
the midst of the circle, and indicated in what direction the novel 
target stood, Hodur threw his shaft boldly. Instead of the loud 
shout of laughter which he expected to hear, a shuddering cry of 
terror fell upon his ear, for Balder the beautiful had fallen to the 
ground, slain by the fatal blow. 

" So on the floor lay Balder dead; and round 

Lay thickly strewn swords, axes, darts, and spears, 
Which all the Gods in sport had idly thrown 
At Balder, whom no weapon pierced or clove ; 
But in his breast stood fixed the fatal bough 
Of mistletoe, which Lok, the Accuser, gave 
To Hoder, and unwitting Hoder threw — 
'Gainst that alone had Balder's life no charm." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Anxiously the gods all crowded around him, but alas ! life was 
quite extinct, and all their efforts to revive the fallen sun-god 
were vain. Inconsolable at their loss, they turned angrily upon 



r 



1 







BALDER. 



BALDER. 189 

Hodur, whom they would have slain had they not been restrained 
by the feeling that no willful deed of violence should ever dese- 
crate their peace steads. At the loud sound of lamentation the 
goddesses came in hot haste, and when Frigga saw that her dar- 
ling was dead, she passionately implored the gods to go to Nifl- 
heim and entreat Hel to release her victim, for the earth could 
not live happy without him. 

As the road was rough and painful in the extreme, none of the 
gods at first volunteered to go ; but when Frigga added that she 
and Odin would reward the messenger by loving Hermod , s 
him most of all the ^Esir, Hermod signified his errand, 

readiness to execute the commission. To help him on his way, 
Odin lent him Sleipnir, and bade him good speed, while he mo- 
tioned to the other gods to carry the corpse to Breidablik, and 
directed them to go to the forest and • cut down huge pines to 
make a worthy pyre for his son. 

"But when the Gods were to the forest gone, 
Hermod led Sleipnir from Valhalla forth 
And saddled him ; before that, Sleipnir brook'd 
No meaner hand than Odin's on his mane, 
On his broad back no lesser rider bore; 
Yet docile now he stood at Hermod's side, 
Arching his neck, and glad to be bestrode, 
Knowing the God they went to seek, how dear. 
But Hermod mounted him, and sadly fared 
In silence up the dark untravel'd road 
Which branches from the north of Heaven, and went 
All day ; and daylight waned, and night came on. 
And all that night he rode, and journey'd so, 
Nine days, nine nights, toward the northern ice, 
Through valleys deep-engulph'd by roaring streams. 
And on the tenth morn he beheld the bridge 
Which spans with golden arches GialFs stream, 
And on the bridge a damsel watching, arm'd, 
In the straight passage, at the further end, 
Where the road issues between walling rocks." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 



190 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

While Hermod was traveling along the cheerless road to Nifl- 
heim, the gods hewed and carried down to the shore a vast 
amount of fuel, which they placed upon the deck of Balder's 
favorite vessel, Ringhorn, constructing an elaborate funeral pyre, 
which, according to custom, was decorated with tapestry hang- 
ings, garlands of flowers, vessels and weapons of all kinds, golden 
rings, and countless objects of value, ere the immaculate corpse 
was brought and laid upon it in full attire. 

One by one, the gods now drew near to take a last farewell of 
their beloved companion, and as Nanna bent over him, her lov- 
ing heart broke, and she fell lifeless by his side. Seeing this, the 
gods reverently laid her beside her husband, that she might ac- 
company him even in death ; and after they had slain his horse 
and hounds and twined the pyre with thorns, the emblems of 
sleep, Odin, the last of the gods, drew near. 

In token of affection for the dead and of sorrow for his loss, 
all laid their most precious possessions upon his pyre, and Odin, 

The funeral bending down, now added to the offerings his magic 
pyre. r j n g D rau pnn\ The assembled gods then perceived 

that he was whispering in his dead son's ear, but none were near 
enough to hear what word he said. 

These preliminaries ended, the gods now prepared to launch 
the ship, but found it so heavily laden with fuel and treasures 
that their combined efforts could not make it stir an inch. The 
mountain giants, witnessing the sad scene from afar, and noticing 
their quandary, said that they knew of a giantess called Hyrro- 
kin, who dwelt in Jotun-heim, and was strong enough to launch 
the vessel without any other aid. The gods therefore bade one 
of the storm giants hasten off to summon Hyrrokin, who soon 
appeared, riding a gigantic wolf, which she guided by a bridle 
made of writhing live snakes. Riding down to the shore, the 
giantess dismounted and haughtily signified her readiness to give 
them the required aid, if in the mean while they would but hold 
her steed. Odin immediately dispatched four of his maddest 
Berserkers to fulfill this task; but, in spite of their phenomenal 



BALDER. 191 

strength, they could not hold the monstrous wolf until the giantess 
had thrown and bound it fast. 

Hyrrokin, seeing them now able to manage her refractory 
steed, marched down the beach, set her shoulder against the 
stern of Balder's ship Ringhorn, and with one mighty shove sent 
it out into the water. Such was the weight of the burden she 
moved, however, and the rapidity with which it shot down into 
the sea, that all the earth shook as if from an earthquake, and 
the rollers on which it glided caught fire from the friction. The 
unexpected shock almost made the gods lose their balance, and 
so angered Thor that he raised his hammer and would have slain 
the giantess had he not been restrained by his fellow gods. Easily 
appeased, as usual — for Thor's violence, although quick, was 
evanescent — he now stepped up on the vessel once more to con- 
secrate the funeral pyre with his sacred hammer. But, as he was 
performing this ceremony, the dwarf Sif managed to get into his 
way so provokingly that Thor, still slightly angry, kicked him 
into the fire, which he had just kindled with a thorn, where the 
dwarf was burned to ashes with the corpses of the faithful pair. 

As the vessel drifted out to sea, the flames rose higher and 
higher, and when it neared the western horizon it seemed as if 
sea and sky were all on fire. Sadly the gods watched the glow- 
ing ship and its precious freight, until it suddenly plunged into 
the waves and disappeared ; nor did they turn aside and go back 
to their own homes until the last spark of light had vanished, and 
all the world was enveloped in darkness, in token of mourning 
for Balder the good. 

" Soon with a roaring rose the mighty fire, 
And the pile crackled ; and between the logs 
Sharp quivering tongues of flame shot out, and leapt 
Curling and darting, higher, until they lick'd 
The summit of the pile, the dead, the mast, 
And ate the shriveling sails ; but still the ship 
Drove on, ablaze above her hull with fire. 
And the gods stood upon the beach, and gazed; 



192 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

And while they gazed, the sun went lurid down 

Into the smoke-wrapt sea, and night came on. 

Then the wind fell with night, and there was calm ; 

But through the dark they watch'd the burning ship 

Still carried o'er the distant waters, on 

Farther and farther, like an eye of fire. 

So show'd in the far darkness, Balder's pile; 

But fainter, as the stars rose high, it flared; 

The bodies were consumed, ash choked the pile. 

And as, in a decaying winter fire, 

A charr'd log, falling, makes a shower of sparks — 

So, with a shower of sparks, the pile fell in, 

Reddening the sea around; and all was dark." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Sadly the gods entered Asgard, where no sounds of merriment 
or feasting were heard, but all hearts were filled with despair, for 
they knew the end was near, and shuddered at the thought of the 
terrible Fimbul-winter^ which w r as to herald their death. 

Frigga alone cherished some hope, and anxiously watched for 
the return of her messenger, Hermod the swift, who in the mean 
while had ridden over the tremulous bridge, along the dark H el- 
way, and on the tenth night had crossed the rushing tide of the 
river Gioll. Here he was challenged by Modgud, who inquired 
why the Giallar-bridge trembled more beneath his horse's tread 
than when a whole army passed, and asked why he, a live man, 
was attempting to penetrate into the dreaded realm of Hel. 

" Who art thou on thy black and fiery horse 

Under whose hoofs the bridge o'er Giall's stream 
Rumbles and shakes ? Tell me thy race and home. 
But yestermorn five troops of dead pass'd by, 
Bound on their way below to Hela'.s realm, 
Nor shook the bridge so much as thou alone. 
And thou hast flesh and color on thy cheeks, 
Like men who live, and draw the vital air ; 
Nor look'st thou pale and wan, like man deceased, 
Souls bound below, my daily passers here." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 



BALDER. 193 

Hermod explained to Mddgud the reason of his coming, and, 
having ascertained that Balder and Nanna had ridden over the 
bridge before him, he hastened on, until he came to the gate of 
hell, which rose forbiddingly before him. 

Nothing daunted by this barrier, Hermod dismounted on the 
smooth ice, tightened the girths of his saddle, remounted, and 
burying his spurs deep into Sleipnir's sleek sides, he made him 
take a prodigious leap, which landed him safely on the other side 
of H el-gate. 

" Thence on he journey'd o'er the fields of ice 
Still north, until he met a stretching wall 
Barring his way, arid in the wall a gate. 
Then he dismounted, and drew tight the girths, 
On the smooth ice, of Sleipnir, Odin's horse, 
And made him leap the gate, and came within." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Riding onward, Hermod came at last to Hel's banquet hall, 
where he found Balder, pale and dejected, lying upon a couch, 
his wife Nanna beside him, gazing fixedly at the mead before 
him, which he had no heart to drink. 

In vain Hermod informed his brother that he had come to re- 
deem him ; Balder sadly shook his head, saying that he knew he 
must remain in this cheerless abode until the last Resu i t of 
day should come, but imploring him to take Nanna Hermod ' s quest, 
back with him, as the home of the shades was no place for such 
a bright and beautiful young creature. But when Nanna heard 
this request she clung more closely still to her husband's side, 
vowing that nothing would ever induce her to part from him, 
and that she would stay with him, even in Nifl-heim, forever. 

The whole night was spent in close conversation, ere Hermod 
sought Hel and implored Balder's release. The churlish goddess 
listened silently to his request, and finally declared that she would 
let her victim go providing all things animate and inanimate 
should prove their sorrow for his loss by shedding a tear. 



194 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

u Come then ! if Balder was so dear beloved, 
And this is true, and such a loss is Heaven's — 
Hear, how to Heaven may Balder be restored. 
Show me through all the world the signs of grief! 
Fails but one thing to grieve, here Balder stops ! 
Let all that lives and moves upon the earth 
Weep him, and all that is without life weep ; 
Let Gods, men, brutes, bevveep him ; plants and stones ! 
So shall I know the lost was dear indeed, 
And bend my heart, and give him back to Heaven." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Having received this answer, the ring Draupnir, which Balder 
sent back to Odin, an embroidered carpet from Nanna for Frigga, 
and a ring for Fulla, Hermod cheerfully made his way out of 
Hel's dark realm, whence he hoped soon to rescue Balder the 
good, for well he knew all Nature sincerely mourned his de- 
parture and would shed unlimited tears to win him back. 

The assembled gods crowded anxiously around him as soon 
as he returned, and when he had delivered his messages and gifts, 
the JEsir sent out heralds to every part of the world to bid all 
things animate and inanimate weep for Balder. 

" Go quickly forth through all the world, and pray 
All living and unliving things to weep 
Balder, if haply he may thus be won ! " 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

These orders were rapidly carried out, and soon tears hung 
from every plant and tree, the ground was saturated with moist- 
ure, and metals and stones, in spite of their hard hearts, wept 
too. 

On their way home the messengers passed a dark cave, in 
which they saw the crouching form of a giantess named Thok, 
whom some mythologists suppose to have been Loki in disguise ; 
when they asked her also to shed a tear, she mocked them and 
fled into the dark recesses of her cave, declaring that she would 
never weep and that Hel might retain her prey forever. 



BALDER. 195 

" Thok she weepeth 
With dry tears 
For Balder's death — 
Neither in life, nor yet in death, 
Gave he me gladness. 
Let Hel keep her prey." 

Elder Edda (Howitt's version). 

As soon as the returning messengers arrived in Asgard, all the 
gods crowded around them to know the result of their mission ; 
but their faces, all alight with the joy of anticipation, soon grew 
dark with despair when' they heard that, as one creature refused 
the tribute of tears, they should behold Balder on earth no more. 

" Balder, the Beautiful, shall ne'er 
From Hel return to upper air ! 
Betrayed by Loki, twice betrayed, 
The prisoner of Death is made ; 
Ne'r shall he 'scape the place of doom 
Till fatal Ragnarok be come ! " 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

The sole consolation left Odin was to fulfill the decree of fate. 
He therefore departed and achieved the difficult courtship of 
Rinda, which we have already described. She bore Vali, the 
Avenger, who, coming into Asgard on the very day of his birth, 
slew Hodur with his sharp arrow. Thus he punished the mur- 
derer of Balder according to the true Northern creed. 

The physical explanation of this myth is either the daily setting 
of the sun (Balder), which sinks beneath the western waves, 
driven away by darkness (Hodur), or the end of the short North- 
ern summer and reign of the long winter season. " Balder repre- 
sents the bright and clear summer, when twilight and daylight 
kiss each other and go hand in hand in these Northern latitudes." 

" Balder's pyre, of the sun a mark, 
Holy hearth red staineth ; 
Yet, soon dies its last faint spark, 
Darkly then Hoder reigneth." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 



196 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

" His death by Hodur is the victory of darkness over light, the 
darkness of winter over the light of summer ; and the revenge by 
Vali is the breaking forth of new light after the wintry darkness." 
Loki, the fire, is jealous of the pure light of heaven, Balder, who 
alone among the Northern gods never fought, but was always 
ready with words of conciliation and peace. 

' ' But from thy lips, O Balder, night or day, 
Heard no one ever an injurious word 
To God or Hero, but thou keptest back 
The others, laboring to compose their brawls." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

The tears shed by all things for the beloved god are symbolical 
of the spring thaw, setting in after the hardness and cold of winter, 
when every tree and twig, and even the stones drip with moisture ; 
Thok (coal) alone shows no sign of tenderness, as she is buried 
deep within the dark earth and needs not the light of the sun. 

"And as in winter, when the frost breaks up, 
At winter's end, before the spring begins, 
And a warm west wind blows, and thaw sets in — 
After an hour a dripping sound is heard 
In all the forests, and the soft-strewn snow 
Under the trees is dibbled thick with holes, 
And from the boughs the snow loads shuffle down ; 
And, in fields sloping to the south, dark plots 
Of grass peep out amid surrounding snow, 
And widen, and the peasant's heart is glad — 
So through the world was heard a dripping noise 
Of all things weeping to bring Balder back ; 
And there fell joy upon the Gods to hear." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

From the depths of their underground prison, the sun (Balder) 
and vegetation (Nanna) try to cheer heaven (Odin) and earth 
(Frigga) by sending them the ring Draupnir, the emblem of fertil- 
ity, and the flowery tapestry, symbolical of the carpet of verdure 
which will again deck the earth and enhance her charms with its 
beauty. 



BALDER. 197 

The ethical signification of the myth is no less beautiful, for 
Balder and Hodur are symbols of the conflicting forces of good 
and evil, while Loki impersonates the tempter. 

" But in each human soul we find 
That night's dark Hoder, Balder's brother blind, 
Is born and waxeth strong as he ; 
For blind is ev'ry evil born, as bear cubs be, 
Night is the cloak of evil; but all good 
Hath ever clad in shining garments stood. 
The busy Loke, tempter from of old, 
Still forward treads incessant, and doth hold 
The blind one's murder hand, whose quick-launch'd spear 
Pierceth young Balder's breast, that sun of Valhal's sphere ! " 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

One of the most important festivals was held at the summer 
solstice, or midsummer's eve, in honor of Balder the good, for 
it was considered the anniversary of his death worship of 
and of his descent into the lower world. On that Balder, 
day, the longest in the year, all the people congregated out of 
doors, made great bonfires, and watched the sun, which in ex- 
treme Northern latitudes merely touches the horizon ere it rises 
upon a new day. From midsummer, the days gradually grow 
shorter, and the sun's rays less warm, until the winter solstice, 
which was called the " Mother night," as it was the longest in 
the year. Midsummer's eve, once celebrated in honor of Balder, 
is now called St. John's day, that saint having entirely supplanted 
Balder the good. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



LOKI. 



Besides the hideous giant Utgard-Loki, the personification 
of mischief and evil, whom Thor and his companions visited in 
Jotun-heim, the ancient Northern nations had another type of sin, 
whom they called Loki also, and whom we have already seen 
under many different aspects. 

In the beginning, Loki, who by some mythologists is consid- 
ered the brother of Odin himself, was only the personification of 
the hearth fire and of the spirit of life. But other authorities assert 
that Odin and Loki were not related, and had merely gone through 
the Northern form of swearing blood brotherhood. 

" Odin ! dost thou remember 
When we in early days 
Blended our blood together ? 
When to taste beer 
Thou dids't constantly refuse 
Unless to both 'twas offered ? " 

S.-emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

At first a god, Loki gradually becomes " god and devil combined," 
and ends by being an exact counterpart of the mediaeval Lucifer, 
the prince of lies, "the originator of deceit, and the backbiter" 
of the ./Esir. 

While Thor is the embodiment of Northern activity, Loki rep- 
resents recreation, and the close companionship early established 
between these two gods shows very plainly how soon our ances- 
tors realized that both were necessary to the welfare of man- 
kind. Thor is ever busy and ever in dead earnest, but Loki 

198 



LOKI. 199 

makes fun of everything, until at last his love of mischief leads 
him entirely astray, and he loses all love for good and becomes 
utterly selfish and malevolent. < 

He represents evil in the seductive and seemingly beautiful 
form in which it glides about through the world. On account 
of this deceptive appearance the gods did not at Loki - s C harac- 
first avoid him, but considered him one of their ter - 

number, took him with them wherever they went, and admitted 
him not only to their banquets and merrymakings, but also to 
their council hall, where they, unfortunately, too often listened to 
his advice. 

As we have already seen, Loki played a prominent part in the 
creation of man, endowing him with the power of motion, and 
causing the blood to circulate freely through his veins and inspire 
him with passions. As personification of fire as well as of mis- 
chief, Loki (lightning) is often seen with Thor (thunder), whom 
he accompanies to Jotun-heim to recover his hammer, to Utgard- 
Loki's castle, and to Geirrod's house. It is he who steals Freya's 
necklace and Sif's hair, and betrays Idun into the power of Thiassi ; 
and although he sometimes gives the gods good advice and affords 
them real help, it is only to extricate them from some predica- 
ment into which he has rashly inveigled them. 

Some authorities declare that, instead of making part of the 
creative trilogy (Odin, Hoenir, and Lodur or Loki), this god orig- 
inally belonged to a pre-Odinic race of deities, and was the son 
of the great giant Fornjotnr (Ymir), his brothers being Kari (air) 
and Hler (water), and his sister Ran, the terrible goddess of the 
sea. Other mythologists, however, make him the son of the 
giant Farbauti, who has been identified with Bergelmir, the sole 
survivor of the deluge, and of Laufeia (leafy isle) or Nal (vessel), 
his mother, thus stating that his connection with Odin was only 
that of the Northern oath of good fellowship. 

Loki (fire) first married Glut (glow), who bore him two daugh- 
ters, Eisa (embers) and Einmyria (ashes) ; it is therefore very 
evident that Norsemen considered him emblematic of the hearth 



200 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

fire, and when the flaming wood crackles on the hearth the good- 
wives in the North are still wont to say that Loki is beating his 
children. Besides this wife, Loki is also said to have married the 
giantess Angur-boda (the anguish-boding), who dwelt in Jotun- 
heim, and, as we have already seen, bore him the three monsters, 
Hel, goddess of death, the Midgard snake Iormimgandr, and the 

grim wolf Fenris. 

" Loki begat the wolf 
With Angur-boda." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Loki's third marriage was with Sigyn, who proved a most lov- 
ing and devoted wife, and bore him two sons, Narve and Vali, 
the latter a namesake of the god who avenged 
Balder. Sigyn was always faithful to her husband, 
never forsook him, and stood beside him even after he had 
definitely been cast out of Asgard and bound in punishment for 
his sins. 

As Loki was the embodiment of evil in the minds of the North- 
ern races, they felt nothing but fear of him, built no temples in 
his honor, offered no sacrifices to him, and designated the most 
noxious weeds by his name. The quivering, overheated atmos- 
phere of summer was also supposed to betoken his presence, for 
the people were then wont to remark that Loki was sowing his 
oats, and when the sun drew water they said Loki was drinking. 

The story of Loki is so inextricably woven in with that of "the 
other gods that most of the myths relating to him have already 
been told, and there remain but two episodes of his life to relate, 
one showing his good side before he had degenerated into the 
arch deceiver, and the other illustrating how he finally induced the 
gods to defile their peace steads by willful murder. 

A giant and a peasant were playing a game together one day 

(probably a game of chess, which was a favorite winter pastime 

Skrymsii and with the Northern vikings). They of course de- 

e chfid an termined to play for certain stakes, and the giant, 
coming off victor, won the peasant's only son, whom he said he 




(Oj>p. p. 2L0.) 



LOKIAND SIGYN.— Carl Gebhardt. 



LOKI. 20 r 

would come and claim on the morrow unless the parents could 
hide him so cleverly that he could not find him. 

Knowing that such a feat would be impossible for them to 
perform, the parents fervently prayed Odin to help them, and in 
answer to these entreaties the god came down to earth, took the 
boy, and changed him into a tiny grain of wheat, which he hid 
in an ear of grain in the midst of a large field, declaring that the 
giant would never find him. The giant Skrymsli, however, was 
very wist indeed, and, failing to find the child at home, strode off 
to the field with his scythe, mowed down the grain, and selected 
the particular ear where the boy was hidden. Counting over the 
grains of wheat he was about to lay his hand upon the right one 
when Odin, hearing the child's cry of distress, suddenly snatched 
the kernel out of the giant's hand, and restored the boy to his 
parents, telling them that he had done all in his power to help 
them. But, as the giant vowed he had been cheated, and would 
claim his prey on the morrow unless the parents could outwit him, 
the unfortunate peasants now applied to Hoenir. He changed 
the boy into a bit of down, which he hid in the breast of a swan 
swimming in a pond close by. Skrymsli, the giant, coming up a 
few minutes later, and guessing what had occurred, caught the 
swan, bit off its neck, and would have swallowed the down, had 
not Hoenir interfered, wafted it away from his lips and out of 
reach, restoring the boy safe and sound to his parents, but warn- 
ing them that he could never aid them again. 

Skrymsli having told the parents that he would make a third 
attempt to secure the child, they now applied in despair to Loki, 
who carried the boy out to sea, and concealed him, as a tiny egg, 
in the roe of a flounder. Returning from his expedition, Loki 
encountered the giant near the shore, and seeing he was bent 
upon a fishing excursion, insisted upon accompanying him to in- 
terfere in case of need. Skrymsli baited his hook, angled awhile, 
caught several fishes, and finally drew up the identical flounder 
in which Loki had. concealed his little charge. Opening the fish 
upon his knee, the giant proceeded to count over every egg in 



202 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

the roe, until he found the one which he was seeking ; but Loki 
snatched it out of his grasp, set the child ashore, and secretly 
bade him run home, passing through the boathouse and closing 
the door behind him. The terrified boy obeyed, and the giant, 
in close pursuit, dashed into the boathouse, where Loki had cun- 
ningly placed a sharp spike, which pierced his head. The giant 
sank to the ground with a groan, and Loki, seeing him helpless, 
cut off one of his legs. Imagine the god's dismay, however, 
when he saw the pieces join and immediately knit together. Rec- 
ognizing that magic was at work, Loki cut off the other leg, 
promptly throwing flint and steel between the severed limb and 
trunk, and thereby hindering any further sorcery. The peasants, 
perceiving that their enemy was slain by Loki's agency, ever after 
considered this god the mightiest of all the heavenly council, for 
he had delivered them from their foe forever, while the others 
had only lent temporary aid. 

In spite of Bifrost, the tremulous way, and of the watchfulness 
of Heimdall, the gods could not feel entirely secure in Asgard, and 
The giant were often afraid lest the frost giants should make 
architect. t } ie - r wa y - nto t h e j r m idst. To obviate this possi- 
bility, they finally decided to build an impregnable fortress ; and 
while they were planning how this work could be executed, an un- 
known architect appeared among them, offering to undertake the 
construction, provided the gods would give him sun, moon, and 
Freya, goddess of youth and beauty, as reward. The gods were 
at first inclined to demur ; but, urged by Loki, they finally told 
the architect that the guerdon should be his, provided the fortress 
were finished in the course of a single winter, and that he accom- 
plished the work with no other assistance than that of his horse 
Svadilfare. 

" To Asgard came an architect, 

And castle offered to erect, — 
A castle high 
Which should defy 

Deep Jotun guile and giant raid ; 

And this most wily compact made : 



LOKI. 203 

Fair Freya, with the Moon and Sun, 
As price the fortress being done." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

The unknown architect submitted to these conditions, and im- 
mediately began his work, hauling ponderous blocks of stone by 
night, building during the. day, and advancing so rapidly that the 
gods' attention was attracted to the work. Ere long they per- 
ceived that more than half the labor was accomplished by the 
wonderful steed Svadilfare, and trembled when they saw, near 
the end of winter, that the work was all finished except one 
portal, which they knew the architect could easily erect during 
the night. 

" Horror and fear the gods beset; 
Finished almost the castle stood! 
In three days more 
The work be o'er ; 
Then must they make their contract good, 
And pay the awful debt." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

Terrified lest they should be called upon to part, not only with 
the sun and moon, but also with Freya, the personification of all 
the youth and beauty of the world, the gods sought Loki, and 
threatened to kill him unless he devised some means of hindering 
the architect from finishing the work within the specified time. 

Changing himself into a mare, at nightfall, Loki rushed out of 
the forest, and neighed invitingly as Svadilfare passed by, painfully 
dragging one of the great blocks of stone required for the termi- 
nation of the work. In a trice the horse kicked his harness to. 
pieces and ran after the mare, closely pursued by his angry and 
gesticulating master. Loki, the mare, artfully lured horse and 
master deeper and deeper into the forest, until the night was 
nearly gone, and it was impossible to finish the work. Discov- 
ering the fraud, the architect (a redoubtable Hrim-thurs, in dis- 
guise) now returned to Asgard in a towering rage, and, assum- 
ing his wonted proportions, would have annihilated all the gods 



204 MYTHS OF NORTHERN- LANDS. 

had not Thor suddenly confronted him, and slain him by hurl- 
ing his magic hammer Miolnir full in his face. 

The gods having saved themselves on this occasion only 
through fraud and by perjury, this murder brought great sorrows 
upon them, and eventually brought about their downfall and 
hastened the coming of Ragnarok. Loki, however, felt no re- 
morse for what he had done, and in due time it is said he became 
the parent of an eight-footed steed called Sleipnir, which, as we 
have seen, was Odin's favorite mount. 

" But Sleipnir he begat 
With Svadilfari." 

Lay of Hyndla (Thorpe's ti\). 

Loki performed so many evil deeds during his career that he 
richly deserved the title of " arch deceiver " which was given him. 
He was generally hated for his subtle malicious ways, and for an 
inveterate habit of prevarication which won for him also the title 
of "prince of lies." 

The last crime which he committed, and the one which filled 
his measure of iniquity, was to induce Hodur to throw the fatal 

Loki's last mistletoe at Balder, whom he hated merely on ac- 
cnme. count of his immaculate purity. Had it not been 

for his obduracy as Thok, perhaps even this crime might have 
been condoned ; but the gods, seeing that nothing but evil re- 
mained within him, refused to allow him to remain in Asgard, 
and unanimously pronounced the sentence of perpetual banish- 
ment upon him. 

To divert the gods' sadness and make them, for a short time, 
forget the treachery of Loki and the loss of Balder, ^Egir, god of 
the sea, invited them all to partake of a banquet in his coral 
caves at the bottom of the sea. 

" Now, to assuage the high gods' grief 
And bring their mourning some relief, 
From coral caves 
'Neath ocean waves, 



LO AY. 205 

Mighty King ALgir 

Invited the JEsir 

To festival 

In Hlesey's hall ; 
That, tho' for Baldur every guest 

Was grieving yet, 

He might forget 
Awhile his woe in friendly feast." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

The gods gladly accepted the invitation, and donning their 
richest garb, and wreathing their faces with festive smiles, they 
appeared in the coral caves at the appointed time. All were 
present except the radiant Balder, for whom they heaved many 
a regretful sigh, and the evil Loki, whom none could regret. In 
the course of the feast, however, this last-named god appeared 
in their midst like a dark shadow, and when told to depart, gave 
vent to his rage by vilifying all the gods. 

"Of the ^sir and the Alfar 
That are here within 
Not one has a friendly word for thee." 

^Egir's Compotation, or Loki's Altercation (Thorpe's tr.). 

Then, jealous of the praises which Funfeng, yEgir's servant, had 
won for the dexterity with which he waited upon the guests, Loki 
suddenly turned all his wrath upon him and slew him. The 
gods, indignant at this wanton crime, drove Loki away once more, 
sternly bidding him never appear before them again. 

Scarcely had the ^Esir recovered from this disagreeable inter- 
ruption to their feast, and resumed their places at the board, 
when Loki came creeping in once more, and with venomous 
tongue resumed his slanders, taunting all the gods with their 
weaknesses or shortcomings, dwelling maliciously upon their 
physical imperfections, and deriding them for their mistakes. In 
vain the gods tried to stem his abuse ; his voice rose louder and 
louder, and he was just uttering some base slander about Sif, 



206 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

when Thor suddenly appeared, angrily brandishing his hammer, 
at the mere sight of which Loki fled. 

" Silence, thou impure being ! 
My mighty hammer, Miollnir, 
Shall stop thy prating. 
I will thy head 
From thy neck strike ; 
Then will thy life be ended." 

tEgir's Compotation, or Loki's Altercation (Thorpe's tr.). 

Knowing that he had now lost all hope of ever being admitted 
into Asgard again, and that sooner or later the gods, seeing the 
ripening of the crop of evil he had sown, would regret having 
permitted him to roam about the world, and would try either to 
bind or slay him, Loki withdrew to the mountains, where he 
built himself a hut with four doors, which he always left wide 
open to permit his hasty escape. Carefully laying his plans, he 
decided that if the gods ever came in search of him he would 
rush down to the neighboring cataract which is said to have 
been the Fraananger force or stream, and, changing himself into 
a salmon, would escape all pursuit. He reasoned, however,. that, 
although he could, easily avoid any hook, it would be difficult for 
him to effect an escape were the gods to fashion a net like that 
of the sea-goddess Ran. 

Haunted by this thought, he wondered if such an implement 
could be manufactured, and began to make one out of twine. 
He had not quite finished his work when Odin, Kvasir, and Thor 
suddenly appeared in the distance ; and knowing they had dis- 
covered his retreat, and were about to come and make him a 
prisoner, Loki threw his half-finished net into the fire, and, rush- 
ing out, jumped into the waterfall, where, in the shape of a 
salmon, he hid among the stones. 

The gods, finding the hut empty, were about to depart, when 
Kvasir perceived the remains of the burned net on the hearth, and, 
examining them closely, advised the gods to weave a similar imple- 
ment and use it in searching for their foe in the neighboring 



LOKI. 207 

stream. This advice was immediately followed, and, the net 
finished, the gods proceeded to drag the stream. Loki eluded 
them the first time by hiding at the bottom of the river between 
two stones; but when the gods weighted the net and tried a 
second time, he effected his escape by jumping up stream. A 
third attempt to secure him proved successful, however, for, as 
he once more tried to get away by a sudden leap, Thor caught 
and held him so fast, that he could not escape. The salmon, 
whose slipperiness has become proverbial in the North, is noted 
for its remarkably slim tail, which the people attribute to Thor's 
tight grasp upon his foe. 

The gods, having thus secured Loki and forced him to resume 
his wonted shape, dragged him down into a cavern, where they 
made him fast, using as bonds the entrails of his Loki's 

son Narve, who had been torn to pieces by his punishment, 
brother Vali, whom the gods had changed into a wolf for this 
express purpose. One of these fetters was passed under Loki's 
shoulders, and one under his loins ; when he was securely bound, 
hand and foot, the gods, fearing lest these fetters might give way, 
changed them into adamant or iron. 

" Thee, on a rock's point, 
With the entrails of thy ice-cold son, 
The gods will bind." 

S^mund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Skadi, the giantess, a personification of the cold mountain 
stream, who had joyfully watched the fettering of her foe (sub- 
terranean fire), then fastened a venomous serpent directly over 
his head, so that the poison would fall, drop by drop, upon his 
upturned face. But Sigyn, Loki's faithful wife, hurried with a 
cup to his side, gathered up the drops as they fell, and never left 
her post except when her vessel was full and she was obliged to 
empty it. During her short absence the drops of venom, falling 
upon Loki's face, caused such intense pain that he writhed with 
anguish, shaking all the earth in his efforts to get free, and pro- 
ducing the earthquakes which so frighten mortals. 



208 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

" Ere they left him in his anguish, 
O'er his treacherous brow, ungrateful, 
Skadi hung a serpent hateful, 
Venom drops for aye distilling, 
Every nerve with torment filling; 
Thus shall he in horror languish. 
By him, still unwearied kneeling, 

Sigyn at his tortured side, — 
Faithful wife ! with beaker stealing 

Drops of venom as they fall, — 

Agonizing poison all ! 
Sleepless, changeless, ever dealing 

Comfort, will she still abide ; 
Only when the cup's o'erflowing 

Must fresh pain and smarting cause, 
Swift, to void the beaker going, 

Shall she in her watching pause. 
Then doth Loki 
Loudly cry ; 
Shrieks of terror, 
Groans of horror, 
Breaking forth in thunder peals ! 
With his writhings scared Earth reels. 
Trembling and quaking, 
E'en high Heav'n shaking ! 
So wears he out his awful doom, 
Until dread Ragnarok be come." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

In this painful position Loki was condemned to remain until 
the twilight of the gods, when his bonds would be loosed, and 
he would be free to take part in the last conflict, on the battle- 
field of Vigrid, where he was destined to fall by the hand of 
Heimdall, who would be slain at the same time. 

As we have seen, the venom-dropping snake in this myth is 
the cold mountain stream, whose waters, falling from time to time 
upon the subterranean fire, evaporate, and the steam, escaping 
through fissures, produces the earthquakes and geysers with which 
the inhabitants of Iceland, for instance, were so familiar. 




NORWEGIAN WATERFALL. 



LOKI. 209 

When the gods were all reduced to the rank of demons by the 
introduction of Christianity, Loki was confounded with Saturn, 
who had also been shorn of all his divine attributes, and both 
were considered the prototypes of Satan. The last day of the 
week, which was held sacred to Loki, was known in the Norse 
as Laugardag, or wash day, but in English it was changed to 
Saturday, and was said to owe its name not to Saturn but to 
Sataere, the thief in ambush, and the Teutonic god of agriculture, 
who is supposed to be merely another form of the god Loki. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



THE GIANTS. 



As we have already seen, the Northern races imagined that the 
giants were the first creatures who came to life among the ice- 
bergs filling the vast abyss of Ginnunga-gap. These giants were 
from the very beginning the opponents and rivals of the gods, 
and as the latter were the personifications of all that is good and 
lovely, the former naturally served to denote all that was ugly 
and evil. 

Slain by the gods, Ymir, the first giant, fell lifeless on the ice, 

drowning all his progeny in his blood. One couple only, Ber- 

gelmir and his wife, effected their escape to the 

Jotun-heim. ....... 

confines of the world, J otun-heim, where they took 
up their abode and became the parents of all the giant race. 
In the North the giants were called by various names, each hav- 
ing a particular meaning. Jotun, for instance, meant " the great 
eater," for the giants were noted for their enormous appetites as 
well as for their uncommon size. As they were fond of drinking 
as well as of eating, they were also called Thurses, a word which 
some writers claim had the same meaning as thirst, while others 
think they owed this name to the high towers ("turseis") which 
they were supposed to have built. As the giants were antago- 
nistic to the gods, the latter always strove to keep them at a dis- 
tance, and drove them away into Jotun-heim, in the cold regions 
of the pole, where they condemned them to remain. The giants 
were almost invariably worsted in their encounters with the gods, 
for they were heavy and slow witted, and had nothing but stone 
weapons to oppose the yEsir's bronze. In spite of this in- 



THE GIANTS. 211 

equality, however, they were sometimes greatly envied by the 
gods, for they were thoroughly conversant with all knowledge 
relating to the past. Odin himself was envious of this acquire- 
ment, and no sooner had he secured it by a draught from Mimir's 
spring than he hastened off to Jotun-heim to measure himself 
against Vafthrudnir, the most learned of the giant band. But he 
would never have succeeded in defeating his antagonist in this 
strange encounter had he not ceased inquiring about the past 
and propounded a question relating to the future. 

Of all the gods Thor was the most feared by the Jotuns, for 
he was continually waging war against the frost and mountain 
giants, who would fain have hindered agriculture and bound the 
earth forever in their rigid bands. In fighting against them, 
Thor, as we have already seen, generally had recourse to his crash- 
ing hammer Miolnir, with which he reduced them to powder. 

The Germans fancied that the uneven surface of the earth was 
due to the giants, who, treading upon it while it was still soft 
and newly created, marred its smoothness, while origin of the 
the giantesses, seeing the valleys made by their mountains, 
huge footprints, shed copious tears, which formed the streams. 
As such was the Teutonic belief, the people imagined that the 
giants, who were their personifications of the mountains, were 
huge uncouth creatures, who could only move about in the dark- 
ness or fog, and were petrified as soon as the first rays of sunlight 
pierced through the gloom or scattered the clouds. 

This belief made them call one of their principal mountain 
chains the Riesengebirge (giant mountains). The Scandinavians 
also shared this belief, and to this day the Icelanders designate 
their highest mountain peaks by the name of Jokul, a modifica- 
tion of the word " Jotun." In Switzerland, .where the everlasting 
snows rest upon the lofty mountain tops, the people still relate 
old stories of the time when the giants roamed abroad ; and when 
an avalanche comes crashing down the mountain side, they say 
the giants have restlessly shaken off part of the icy burden from 
their brows and shoulders. 



212 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

As the giants were also personifications of snow, ice, cold, stone, 
and subterranean fire, they were all said to be descended from 
the primitive Fornjotnr, whom some authorities identify with 
Ymir. According to this version of the myth, Fornjotnr had 
three sons : Hler, the sea ; Kari, the air ; and Loki, fire. These 
three divinities were the first gods, formed the oldest trinity, and 
their respective descendants were the sea giants Mimir, Gymir, 
and Grendel, the storm giants Thiassi, Thrym, and Beli, and the 
giants of fire and death, such as the Fenris wolf and Hel. 

As all the royal dynasties claimed descent from some mythical 
being, the Merovingians asserted that their first progenitor was a 
sea giant, who rose up out of the waves in the form of an ox, sur- 
prised the queen while she was walking alone on the seashore, 
and induced her to become his wife. She gave birth to a son 
named Meroveus, the founder of the first dynasty of Frankish 
kings. 

Many stories have already been told about the most important 
giants. They reappear in many of the later myths and fairy- 
tales, and manifest, after the introduction of Christianity, a pecul- 
iar dislike to the sound of church bells and the singing of the 
monks and nuns. 

The Scandinavians relate, in this connection, that in the days 
of Olaf the Saint a giant called Senjemand, who dwelt on the 

The giant Island of Senjen, was greatly incensed because a 
in love. nun on t j ie island of Grypto daily sang her morn- 
ing hymn. The sound of this singing troubled his daydreams, 
for he had fallen in love with a beautiful maiden called Juterna- 
jesta, and was trying to gain courage to propose to her. When 
he made his halting request, however, the fair damsel scorn- 
fully rejected him, declaring that he was far too old and ugly 
to suit her taste. 

"Miserable Senjemand — ugly and gray! 
Thou win the maid of Kvedfiord ! 
No — -a churl thou art and shalt ever remain." 

Ballad (Brace's tr.). 




(Opp. p. 213.) 



TORGHATTEN, NORWAY. 



THE GIANTS. 213 

In his anger at being thus scornfully refused, the giant swore 
vengeance, and soon after he shot a great stone arrow from his 
bow at the maiden, who dwelt eighty miles away. Her lover, 
Torge, also a giant, seeing her peril and wishing to protect her, 
flung his hat at the speeding arrow. This hat was a thousand 
feet high and proportionately broad and thick, but a collision 
with it only spent the force of the arrow, which, piercing the 
giant's headgear, fell short of its aim. Senjemand, seeing he had 
failed, and fearing the wrath of Torge, mounted his steed and 
prepared to ride away as quickly as possible ; but the sun, rising 
above the horizon just then, turned him into stone, as well as the 
arrow and Torge's hat, which is now known as the Torghatten 
mountain. The people still point out the stone arrow, — a huge 
obelisk, — the hole in the mountain, which is 289 feet high and 
88 feet wide, and the horseman on Senjen Island, apparently rid- 
ing a colossal steed and drawing the folds of his wide cavalry 
cloak closely about him. As for the nun whose singing had so 
disturbed Senjemand that he could not propose properly, she was 
petrified too, and never troubled any one with her psalmody again. 

Another legend relates that one of the mountain giants, an- 
noyed by the ringing of church bells more than fifty miles away, 
once caught up a huge rock, which he hurled at The iant and 
the sacred building, but which fortunately fell the church bells, 
short and broke in two. Ever since then, on Christmas eve, the 
peasants report that the trolls have come to raise the largest piece 
of stone upon golden pillars, and to dance and feast beneath 
it. A lady, wishing to know whether this tale were true, once 
sent her groom to the place. The trolls came forward and hos- 
pitably offered him a drink in a horn mounted in gold and orna- 
mented with runes. Seizing the horn, the groom flung its con- 
tents away and dashed off at a mad gallop, closely pursued by 
all the trolls, from whom he escaped only by passing through a 
stubble field and over running water. A deputation of trolls 
visited the lady on the morrow to claim this horn, and when she 
refused to part with it they laid a curse upon her, declaring that 



214 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

her castle would burn down every time the horn was removed. 
This prediction has thrice been fulfilled, and now the family guard 
their horn with superstitious care. A similar drinking vessel, 
obtained in much the same fashion by the Oldenburg family, 
is exhibited in the collection of the King of Denmark. 

The giants were not supposed to remain stationary, but were 
said to move about in the darkness, sometimes transporting 
masses of earth and sand, which they dropped here and there, 
thus forming the sandhills in northern Germany and Denmark. 

A North Frisian tradition relates that the giants also possessed 
a colossal ship, called Mannigfual, which constantly cruised about 

The giants' ^ n tne Atlantic Ocean. Such was the size of this 
ship. vessel that the captain was said to pace the deck 

on horseback. The rigging was so extensive and the masts so 
high that the sailors who went up as youths came down as gray- 
haired men, having rested and refreshed themselves in rooms 
fashioned and provisioned for that purpose in the huge blocks 
and pulleys. 

By some mischance it happened that the pilot once directed 
this immense vessel into the North Sea, and wishing to return to 
the Atlantic as soon as possible, yet not daring to turn around in 
such a small space, he steered into the English Channel. Imag- 
ine the dismay of all on board when they saw the passage 
grow narrower and narrower the farther they advanced. When 
they came to the narrowest spot, between Calais and Dover, it 
seemed barely possible that the vessel, drifting along with the 
current, could force its way through. The captain, with laudable 
presence of mind, promptly bade his men soap the sides of the 
vessel, laying an extra-thick layer on the starboard, where the 
rugged Dover cliffs threateningly rose. These orders were no 
sooner carried out than the vessel entered the narrow space, and, 
thanks to the captain's precaution, it slipped safely through. The 
rocks of Dover scraped off so much soap, however, that ever 
since then they have been very white indeed, and the waves dash- 
ing against them still have a particularly foamy appearance. 



THE GIANTS. 215 

This exciting experience was not the only one which the Man- 
nigfual passed through, for we are told that it once, nobody 
knows how, penetrated into the Baltic Sea, where, the water not 
being deep enough to keep the vessel afloat, the captain ordered 
all the ballast thrown overboard. Such was the amount of ma- 
terial thus cast on either side the vessel into the sea that it formed 
the two islands of Bornholm and Christiansoe. 

In Thuringia and in the Black Forest the stories of the giants 
are very numerous indeed, and the peasants delight in telling 
about Use, the lovely daughter of the giant of the 

J ° . ° Princess Use. 

Ilsenstein. She was so charming that she was 
known far and wide as the beautiful Princess Use, and was 
wooed by many knights, among whom she preferred the lord of 
Westerburg. But her father did not at all approve of her con- 
sorting with a mere mortal, and forbade her seeing her lover. 
Princess Use was willful, and in spite of his prohibitions she daily 
visited her lover. The giant, exasperated by her persistency and 
disobedience, finally stretched out his huge hands and, seizing the 
rocks, tore a great gap between the height where he dwelt and 
the castle of Westerburg. Princess Use, perceiving the cleft which 
parted her from her lover, recklessly flung herself over the preci- 
pice into the raging flood beneath, where she was changed into 
a bewitching undine. She dwelt here in the limpid waters for 
many a year, appearing from time to time to exercise her fascina- 
tions upon mortals, and even, it is said, captivating the affections" 
of the Emperor Henry, who paid frequent visits to her cascade. 
Her last appearance, according to popular belief, was at Pente- 
cost, a hundred years ago ; and the natives have not yet ceased 
to look for the beautiful princess, who is said still to haunt the 
stream and wave her white arms to entice travelers into the cool 
spray of the waterfall. 

" I am the Princess Use, 

And I dwell at the Ilsenstein ; 
Come with me to my castle, 

And bliss shall be mine and thine. 



216 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

"With the cool of my glass-clear waters 
Thy brow and thy locks I'll lave; 
And thou'lt think of thy sorrows no longer, 
For all that thou look'st so grave. 

" With my white arms twined around thee, 
And lapped on my breast so white, 
Thou shalt lie, and dream of elf-land — 
Its loves and wild delight." 

Heine (Martin's tr.). 

The giants inhabited all the earth before it was given to man- 
kind ; they very reluctantly made way for the human race, and 
The giant's retreated into the waste and barren parts of the 
plaything. country, where they brought up their families in 
strict seclusion. Such was the ignorance of their offspring, that 
a young giantess, straying away from home, once came to an 
inhabited valley, where for the first time in her life she saw a 
farmer plowing on the hillside. Deeming him a pretty plaything, 
she caught him up with his team, thrust them into her apron, and 
gleefully carried them home to exhibit them to her father. But 
the giant immediately bade her carry peasant and horses back to 
the place where she had found them, and when she had done so 
he sadly explained that the creatures whom she took for mere 
playthings, would eventually drive all the giant folk away, and 
become masters of all the earth. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

THE DWARFS. 

In the first chapter we saw how the black elves, dwarfs, or 
Svart-alfar, were bred like maggots in the flesh of the slain giant 
Ymir. The gods, perceiving these tiny, unformed creatures creep- 
ing in and out, gave them form and features, calling them dark 
elves on account of their swarthy complexions. These small 
beings were so homely, with their dark skin, green eyes, large 
heads, short legs, and crow's feet, that they were told to hide 
underground and never show themselves during the daytime 
under penalty of being turned into stone. Although less power- 
ful than the gods, they were far more intelligent than men, and 
as their knowledge was boundless and extended even to the 
future, gods and men were equally anxious to question them. 

They were also known as trolls, kobolds, brownies, goblins, 
pucks, or Huldra folk, according to the country where they dwelt. 

" You are the gray, gray Troll, 
With the great green eyes, 
But I love you, gray, gray Troll — 
You are so wise ! 

" Tell me this sweet morn, 
Tell me all you know — 
Tell me, was I born ? 
Tell me, did I grow?" 

The Legend of the Little Fay (Buchanan). 

These dwarfs could transport themselves with marvelous celer- 
ity from one place to another, loved to conceal themselves behind 

217 



218 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

rocks, and mischievously repeated the last words of every con- 
versation they overheard. Owing to this well-known trick, the 
echoes were called dwarfs' talk, and people fancied 

The Tarnkappe. 

that the reason why they were never seen was be- 
cause each dwarf was the proud possessor of a tiny red cap which 
made the wearer invisible. This cap was called Tarnkappe, and 
it was owing to it only that the dwarfs dared appear above the 
surface of the earth after sunrise without fear of being petrified. 

" Away ! let not the sun view me — 
I dare no longer stay ; 
An Elfin-child, thou wouldst me see, 
To stone turn at his ray." 

La Motte-Fouqie. 

The dwarfs as well as the elves were ruled by a king, who, in 

various countries of northern Europe, was known as Andvari, 

The magic of Alberich, Elbegast, Gondemar, Laurin, or Oberon. 

the dwarfs. j^ e dwelt in a magnificent subterranean palace, all 
studded with the gems which his subjects had drawn from the 
bosom of the earth, and, besides untold riches and the Tarnkappe, 
he owned a magic ring, an invincible sword, and a belt of strength. 
At his command his subjects, who were very clever smiths, fash- 
ioned marvelous jewels or weapons, which he bestowed upon 
favorite mortals. 

We have already seen how the dwarfs fashioned Sif's golden 
hair, the ship Skidbladnir, the point of Odin's spear Gungnir, the 
ring Draupnir, the golden-bristled boar Gullin-bursti, the hammer 
Miolnir, and Freya's golden necklace Brisinga-men. They are 
also said to have made the magic girdle which Spenser describes 
in his poem of the " Faerie Queene," — a girdle which was said 
to have the power of revealing whether the wearer were virtuous 
or a hypocrite. 

" That girdle gave the virtue of chaste love 
And wifehood true to all that did it bear ; 
But whosoever contrary doth prove 



THE DWARFS. 219 

Might not the same about her middle wear 
But it would loose, or else asunder tear." 

Faerie Queene (Spenser). 

The dwarfs also manufactured the mythical sword Tyrfing, 
which could cut through iron and stone, and which they gave to 
Angantyr. This sword, like Frey's, fought of its own accord, 
and could not be sheathed, after it was once drawn, until it had 
tasted blood. Angantyr. was so proud of this weapon that he 
had it buried with him ; but his daughter Hervor visited his tomb 
at midnight, recited magic spells, and forced him to rise from his 
grave to give her the precious blade. She wielded it bravely, 
and it eventually became the property of another of the Northern 
heroes. 

The dwarfs were generally kindly and helpful ; sometimes they 
kneaded bread, ground flour, brewed beer, performed countless 
household tasks, and harvested and threshed the grain for the 
farmers. If ill treated, however, or turned into ridicule, these 
little creatures forsook the house and never came back again. 
When the old gods ceased to be worshiped in the Northlands, 
the dwarfs entirely withdrew from the country, and a ferryman 
once said that he had been hired to ply his boat back and forth 
across the river one night, and that at every trip his vessel was 
so laden down with invisible passengers that it nearly sank. When 
his night's work was over, he received a rich reward, and his em- 
ployer informed him that he had helped all the dwarfs across the 
river, for they were leaving the country forever to punish the 
people for their unbelief. 

According to popular superstition, the dwarfs envied man's 
taller stature and often tried to improve their race by winning 
human wives or by stealing unbaptized children, 

. . Changelings. 

and substituting their own offspring for the human 
mother to nurse. These dwarf babies were known as change- 
lings, and were recognizable by their puny and wizened forms. 
To recover possession of her own babe, and to rid herself of the 
changeling, a woman was obliged either to brew beer in egg- 



2 20 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

shells or to grease the soles of the child's feet and hold them so 
near the flames that, attracted by their offspring's distressed cries, 
the dwarf parents would hasten to claim their own and return 
the stolen child. 

The female trolls were also said to have the power of chang- 
ing themselves into Maras or nightmares, and of tormenting any 
one they pleased ; but if the victim succeeded in stopping up the 
hole through which a Mara made her ingress into his room, she 
was entirely at his mercy, and he could even force her to marry 
him if he chose to do so. A wife thus obtained was sure to re- 
main as long as the opening through which she had entered the 
house was closed, but if the plug were removed, either by acci- 
dent or design, she immediately effected her escape and never 
returned. 

Some writers have ventured a conjecture that the dwarfs so 

often mentioned in the ancient sagas and faity-tales were real 

beings, probably the Phoenician miners, who, work- 

A conjecture. . ...... 

mg the coal, iron, copper, gold, and tin mines of 
England, Norway, Sweden, etc., took advantage of the simplicity 
and credulity of the early inhabitants to make them believe that 
they belonged to a supernatural race and always dwelt under- 
ground, in a region which was called Svart-alfa-heim, or the home 
of the black elves. 




(Opp. p. 221.) 



CHAPTER XXV. 



THE ELVES. 



Besides the dwarfs there was another numerous class of tiny- 
creatures called Lios-alfar, light or white elves, who inhabited 
the realms of air between heaven and earth, had their palace in 
Alf-heim, and were gently governed by the genial god Frey. 
They were lovely, beneficent beings, so pure and innocent that, 
according to some authorities, their name was derived from the 
same root as the Latin word "white " (albus), which, in a modified 
form, was given to the Alps, those snow-covered mountains, and 
to Albion (England), because of her white chalk cliffs which could 
be seen from afar. 

The elves were so small that they could flit about unseen to 
care for the flowers, birds, and butterflies ; and as they were 
passionately fond of dancing, they often slipped down to earth on 
a moonbeam, to dance on the green. Holding one another by 
the hand, they danced round in circles, thereby making the " fairy 
rings," which could easily be discovered, as the grass grew 
greener and more luxuriant in the places their little feet had 

trod. 

"Merry elves, their morrice pacing 
To aerial minstrelsy, 
Emerald rings on brown heath tracing, 
Trip it deft and merrily." 

Walter Scott. 

If any mortal stood in the middle of one of these fairy rings 
he could, according to the popular belief in England, see the 



222 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

fairies and enjoy their favor ; but the Germans and Scandinavians 
vowed that the unhappy man must die. In connection with this 
superstition, they tell how Sir Olaf, riding off to his wedding, was 
enticed by the fairies into their ring. On the morrow, instead 
of a merry marriage, his friends witnessed a triple funeral, for his 
mother and bride both died of grief when they beheld his lifeless 

corpse. 

" Master Olof rode forth ere dawn of the day 
And came where the Elf folk were dancing away. 

The dance is so merry, 
So merry in the greenwood. 

" And on the next morn, ere the daylight was red, 
In Master Olof s house lay three corpses dead. 

The dance is so merry, 
So merry in the greenwood. 

"First Master Olof, and next his young bride, 
And third his old mother — for sorrow she died. 

The dance is so merry, 
So merry in the greenwood." 

Master Olof at the Elfin Dance (Howitt's tr.). 

These elves, who in England were called fairies or fays, were 

also enthusiastic musicians, and delighted especially in a certain 

tune which was known as the elf dance, and which 

Fairies or fays. ...... . . , ... 

was so irresistible that no one could hear it with- 
out dancing. If a mortal, overhearing the air, ventured to play 
it, he suddenly found himself incapable of stopping and was 
forced to play on and on until he died of exhaustion, unless he 
were deft enough to play the tune backwards, or some one char- 
itably slipped behind him and cut the strings of his violin. His 
hearers, who were forced to dance as long as the tones continued, 
could only pause when they ceased. 

In the North, in the mediaeval ages, the will-o'-the-wisps were 
The "Will o'-the- known as e ^ lights, f or these tiny sprites were sup- 
wisps, posed to mislead travelers ; and popular superstition 
claimed that the Jack-o'-lanterns were the restless spirits of mur- 



THE ELVES. 223 

derers forced against their will to return to the scene of their 
crimes. As they nightly walked thither, it is said that they dog- 
gedly repeated with every step, " It is right ;" but as they returned 
they sadly reiterated, " It is wrong." 

In later times the fairies or elves were said to be ruled by the 
king of the dwarfs, who, being an underground spirit, was con- 
sidered a demon, and allowed to retain the magic oberon and 
power which the missionaries had wrested from the Titama. 
god Frey. In England and France the king of the fairies was 
known by the name of Oberon ; he governed fairyland with his 
queen Titania, and held his highest revels on earth on Midsum- 
mer night. It was then that the fairies all congregated around 
him and danced most merrily. 

"Every elf and fairy sprite 
Hop as light as bird from brier ; 
And this ditty after me 
Sing, and dance it trippingly." 

Midsummer-Night's Dream (Shakespeare). 

These elves, like the brownies, Huldra folk, kobolds, etc., were 
also supposed to visit human dwellings, and it was said that they 
took mischievous pleasure in tangling and knotting horses' manes 
and tails. These tangles were known as elf locks, and whenever 
a farmer descried them he declared that his steeds had been elf- 
ridden during the night. 

In Germany and Scandinavia sacrifices were offered to the 
elves to make them propitious. These sacrifices, which consisted 
either of some small animal, or of a bowl of honey 
and milk, were known as Alf-blot, and were quite 
common until the missionaries taught the people that the elves 
were mere demons. The sacrifice once offered to them was 
then transferred to the angels, who were long entreated to be- 
friend mortals, and propitiated by the same gifts. 

Many of the elves were supposed to live and die with the trees 
or plants which they tended, but these moss, wood, or tree 



224 MYTHS OF XORTHERX LAXDS. 

maidens, while remarkably beautiful when seen in front, were 
hollow like a trough when viewed from behind. They appear 
in many of the popular tales, but almost always as benevolent 
and helpful spirits, for they were anxious to do good to mortals 
and to remain on a friendly footing with them. 

In Scandinavia the elves, both light and dark, were worshiped 
as household divinities, and their images were carved on the 

images on doorposts. The Norsemen, who were driven away 

doorposts. from home by the tyranny of Harald Harfager in 
874, entered their ships, taking these carved doorposts with them. 
They showed their trust in their household gods by throwing these 
wooden images overboard when they neared the Icelandic shores, 
and settling where the waves earned the posts, although the spot 
scarcely seemed the most desirable. "Thus they earned with 
them the religion, the poetry, and the laws of their race, and on 
this desolate volcanic island they kept these records unchanged 
for hundreds of years, while other Teutonic nations gradually be- 
came affected by their intercourse with Roman and Byzantine 
Christianity." These records, carefully collected by Ssemund the 
learned, form the Elder Edda, the most precious relic of ancient 
Northern literature, without which we would know comparatively 
little of the religion of our forefathers. 

Tradition relates that the first Norse settlements in Greenland 
and Vinland were made in the same way, — the Norsemen piously 
landing wherever their household gods drifted ashore — many 
years before the voyage of Columbus and the accredited dis- 
covery of America. 




--.^ r.„J 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 



While the first part of the Elder Edda consists of a collection 
of alliterative poems describing the creation of the world, the 
adventures of the gods, their eventual downfall, and gives a 
complete exposition of the Northern code of ethics, the second 
part comprises a series of heroic lays describing the life and ad- 
ventures of the Volsung family, and especially of their chief 
representative, Sigurd, the great Northern warrior. 

These lays form the basis of the great Scandinavian epic, the 
Volsunga Saga, and have supplied not only the materials for the 
Nibelungenlied, the German epic, and for count- TheVoisunga 
less folk tales, but also for Wagner's celebrated Saga - 

operas, "The Rhinegold," "Valkyr," "Siegfried," and "The Dusk 
of the Gods." They have also been rewritten by William Morris, 
the English poet, who has given them the form which they will 
probably retain in our literature, and it is from his work that 
almost all the quotations in this chapter are taken in preference 
to extracts from the Edda. 

Sigi, Odin's son, was a powerful man, and generally respected 
until he killed a man out of jealousy because the latter had slain the 
most game when they were out hunting together. 
In consequence of this crime, Sigi was driven from 
his own land and declared an outlaw. But, although he was a 
criminal, he had not entirely forfeited Odin's favor, for the god now 
gave him a well-equipped vessel, provided him with a number of 
brave followers, and promised that victory should ever attend him. 

225 



226 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Thanks to Odin's protection, Sigi soon won the glorious empire 
of the Huns and became a powerful monarch. But when he had 
attained extreme old age his fortune changed, Odin suddenly for- 
sook him, his wife's kindred fell upon him, and after a short en- 
counter he was treacherously slain. 

His death was soon avenged, however, for his son Rerir, re- 
turning from a journey, put all the murderers to death and 
claimed the throne. But, in spite of all outward 
prosperity, Rerir's dearest wish, a son to succeed 
him, remained unfulfilled for many a year. Finally, however, 
Frigga decided to grant his constant prayer, and to vouchsafe 
the heir he longed for. Her swift messenger Gna, or Liod, was 
dispatched to carry him a miraculous apple, which she dropped 
into his lap as he was sitting alone on the hillside. Glancing 
upward, Rerir recognized the emissary of the goddess, and joy- 
fully hastened home to partake of the apple with his wife. The 
child thus born in answer to their prayers was a handsome little 
lad called Volsung, who, losing both parents in early infancy, 
became ruler of all the land. 

Every year Volsung's wealth and power increased, and, as he 

was the boldest leader, many brave warriors rallied around him, 

and drank his mead sitting beneath the Branstock, 

Volsung. 

a mighty oak, which, rising in the middle of his 
dwelling, pierced the roof and overshadowed the whole house. 

" And as in all other matters 'twas all earthly houses' crown, 
And the least of its wall-hung shields was a battle-world's renown, 
So therein withal was a marvel and a glorious thing to see, 
For amidst of its midmost hall-floor sprang up a mighty tree, 
That reared its blessings roofward and wreathed the roof-tree dear 
With the glory of the summer and the garland of the year." 

Volsung did not long remain childless, for ten stalwart sons and 
one lovely daughter, Signy, came to brighten his home. As soon 
as this maiden reached marriageable years, many suitors asked for 
her hand, which was finally pledged to Siggeir, King of the Goths, 
whom, however, she had never seen. 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 227 

The wedding day came, and when the bride first beheld her des- 
tined groom she shrank back in dismay, for his puny form and 
lowering glances contrasted oddly with her bro- The wedding 
thers' strong frames and frank faces. But it was of Si e n y- 
too late to withdraw, — the family honor was at stake, — and Signy 
so successfully concealed her dislike that none except her twin bro- 
ther Sigmund suspected how reluctantly she became Siggeir's wife. 

The wedding feast was held as usual, and when the merry- 
makings had reached their height the guests were startled by the 
sudden entrance of a tall, one-eyed man, closely The sword in 
enveloped in a mantle of cloudy blue. Without the Branstock - 
vouchsafing word or glance to any in the assembly, the stranger 
strode up to the Branstock and thrust a glittering sword up to 
the hilt in its great bole. Then, turning slowly around, he faced 
the awe-struck assembly, and in the midst of the general silence 
declared that the weapon would belong to the warrior who could 
pull it out, and that it would assure him victory in every battle. 
These words ended, he passed out and disappeared, leaving an 
intimate conviction in the minds of all the guests that Odin, king 
of the gods, had been in their midst. 

" So sweet his speaking sounded, so wise his words did seem, 
That moveless all men sat there, as in a happy dream 
We stir not lest we waken ; but there his speech had end, 
And slowly down the hall-floor and outward did he wend; 
And none would cast him a question or follow on his ways, 
For they knew that the gift was Odin's, a sword for the world to 
praise." 

Volsung was the first to recover the power of speech, and, waiv- 
ing his own right to try to secure the divine weapon, he invited 
Siggeir to make the first attempt to draw it out of the tree-trunk. 
The bridegroom anxiously tugged and strained, but the sword 
remained firmly embedded in the oak. He resumed his seat, with 
an air of chagrin, and then Volsung also tried and failed. But 
the weapon was evidently not intended for either of them, and the 
young Volsung princes were next invited to try their strength. 



2 28 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

" Sons I have gotten and cherished, now stand ye forth and try; 
Lest Odin tell in God-home how from the way he strayed, 
And how to the man he would not he gave away his blade." 

The nine eldest sons were equally unsuccessful ; but when Sig- 
mund, the tenth and youngest, laid his firm young 

Sigmund. .... . 

hand upon the hilt, it easily yielded to his touch, 
and he triumphantly drew the sword out without making the least 
exertion. 

" At last by the side of the Branstock Sigmund the Volsung stood, 
And with right hand wise in battle the precious sword-hilt caught, 
Yet in a careless fashion, as he deemed it all for naught ; 
When, lo, from floor to rafter went up a shattering shout, 
For aloft in the hand of Sigmund the naked blade showed out 
As high o'er his head he shook it: for the sword had come away 
From the grip of the heart of the Branstock, as though all loose it 
lay." 

All present seemed overjoyed at his success ; but Siggeir's heart 
was filled with envy, for he coveted the possession of the weapon, 
which he now tried to purchase from his young brother-in-law. 
Sigmund, however, refused to part with it at any price, declaring 
that the weapon had evidently been intended for him only. This 
refusal so offended Siggeir that he secretly resolved to bide his 
time, to exterminate the proud race of the Volsungs, and thus 
secure the divine sword. 

Concealing his chagrin therefore, he turned to Volsung and 
cordially invited him to visit his court a month later, bringing all 
his sons and kinsmen with him. The invitation so spontaneously 
given was immediately accepted, and although Signy, suspecting 
evil, secretly sought her father while her husband slept, and im- 
plored him to retract his promise and stay at home, he would not 
consent to appear afraid. 

A few weeks after the return of the bridal couple Volsung's 
well-manned vessels came within sight of Siggeir's shores, and 
Signy perceiving them hastened down to the beach to implore 




{Opp.p.-xez.) 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 229 

her kinsmen not to land, warning them that her husband had 
treacherously planned an ambush, whence they could never 
escape alive. But Volsung and his sons, whom no siggeir's 
peril could daunt, calmly bade her return to her hus- treachery, 
band's palace, and donning their arms they boldly set foot ashore. 

" Then sweetly Volsung kissed her: ' Woe am I for thy sake, 
But Earth the word hath hearkened, that yet unborn I spake ; 
How I ne'er would turn me backward from the sword or fire of 

bale ; — 
— I have held that word till to-day, and to-day shall I change the 

tale? 
And look on these thy brethren, how goodly and great are they, 
Wouldst thou have the maidens mock them, when this pain hath 

passed away 
And they sit at the feast hereafter, that they feared the deadly 

stroke ? 
Let us do our day's work deftly for the praise and the glory of folk ; 
And if the Norns will have it that the Volsung kin shall fail, 
Yet I know of the deed that dies not, and the name that shall ever 

avail.' " 

Marching towards the palace, the brave little troop soon fell 
into Siggeir's ambuscade, and, although they fought with heroic 
courage, they were so overpowered by the superior number of 
their foes that Volsung was soon slain and all his sons made 
captive. Led bound into the presence of Siggeir, who had taken 
no part in the fight (for he was an arrant coward), Sigmund was 
forced to relinquish his precious sword, and he and his brothers 
were all condemned to die. 

Signy, hearing this cruel sentence, vainly interceded for them, 
but all she could obtain by her prayers and entreaties was that 
her kinsmen should be chained to a fallen oak in the forest, 
there to perish of hunger and thirst if the wild beasts spared them. 
Then, fearing lest his wife should visit and succor her brothers, 
Siggeir confined her in the palace, where she was closely guarded- 
night and day. 



230 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Early every morning Siggeir himself sent a messenger into the 
forest to see whether the Volsungs were still living, and every 
morning the man returned saying a monster had come during the 
night and had devoured one of the princes, leaving nothing but 
his bones. When none but Sigmund remained alive, Signy finally 
prevailed upon one of her servants to carry some honey into the 
forest and smear it over her brother's face and mouth. 

That very night the wild beast, attracted by the smell of the 
honey, licked Sigmund's face, and even thrust its tongue into his 
mouth. Clinching his teeth upon it, Sigmund, weak and wounded 
as he was, struggled until his bonds broke and he could slay the 
nightly visitor who had caused the death of all his brothers. 
Then he vanished into the forest, where he remained concealed 
until the daily messenger had come and gone, and until Signy, 
released from captivity, came speeding to the forest to weep over 
her kinsmen's remains. 

Seeing her evident grief, and knowing she had no part in Sig- 
geir's cruelty, Sigmund stole out of his place of concealment, 
comforted her as best he could, helped her to bury the whiten- 
ing bones, and registered a solemn oath in her presence to avenge 
his family's wrongs. This vow was fully approved by Signy, who, 
however, bade her brother abide a favorable time, promising to 
send him a helper. Then the brother and sister sadly parted, she 
to return to her distasteful palace home, and he to seek the most 
remote part of the forest, where he built a tiny hut and plied the 
trade of a smith. 

" And men say that Signy wept 
When she left that last of her kindred; yet wept she never more 
Amid the earls of Siggeir, and as lovely as before 
Was her face to all men's deeming : nor aught it changed for ruth, 
Nor for fear nor any longing ; and no man said for sooth 
That she ever laughed thereafter till the day of her death was 
come." 

Years passed by. Siggeir, having taken possession of the Vol- 
sung kingdom, proudly watched the growth of his eldest son, 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 231 

whom Signy secretly sent to her brother as soon as he was ten 
years of age, bidding Sigmund train the child up to help him, if 
he were worthy of such a task. Sigmund reluc- 

i iii 1 ^ i ^ Signy's sons. 

tantly accepted the charge ; but as soon as he had 
tested the boy and found him deficient in physical courage, he 
either sent him back to his mother, or, as some versions relate, 
slew him. 

Some time after this Sigmund tested Signy's second son, who 
had been sent to him for the same purpose, and found him want- 
ing also. Evidently none but a pure-blooded Volsung could help 
him in his work of revenge, and Signy, realizing this, resolved to 
commit a crime. 

" And once in the dark she murmured : ' Where then was the ancient 

song 
That the Gods were but twin-born once, and deemed it nothing 

wrong 
To mingle for the world's sake, whence had the ^Esir birth, 
And the Vanir, and the Dwarf-kind, and all the folk of earth ? ' " 

This resolution taken, she summoned a beautiful young witch, 
exchanged forms with her, and, running into the forest, sought 
shelter in Sigmund's hut. Deeming her nothing but the gypsy 
she seemed, and won by her coquetry, he soon made her his 
wife. Three days later she vanished from his hut, returned to 
the palace, resumed her own form, and when she gave birth to a 
little son, she rejoiced to see his bold glance and strong frame. 

When this child, Sinfiotli, was ten years of age, she herself 
made a preliminary test of his courage by sewing his garment to 
his skin. Then she suddenly snatched it off with 

. . Sinfiotli. 

shreds of flesh hanging to it, and as the child, did 
not even wince, but laughed aloud, she confidently sent him to 
Sigmund. He, too, found the boy quite fearless, and upon leav- 
ing the hut one day he bade him take meal from a certain sack, 
and knead and bake the bread. On returning home Sigmund 
asked Sinfiotli whether his orders had been carried out. The lad 
replied by showing the bread, and when closely questioned he 



232 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

artlessly confessed that he had been obliged to knead into the 
loaf a great adder which was hidden in the meal. Pleased to 
see that the child, for whom he felt a strange affection, had 
successfully stood the test which had daunted his predecessors, 
Sigmund bade him refrain from eating of that loaf, as he alone 
could taste poison unharmed, and patiently began to teach him 
all a Northern warrior need know. 

" For here the tale of the elders doth men a marvel to wit, 

That such was the shaping of Sigmund among all earthly kings, 
That unhurt he handled adders and other deadly things, 
And might drink unscathed of venom : but Sinfiotli was so wrought 
That no sting of creeping creatures would harm his body aught." 

Sigmund and Sinfiotli soon became inseparable companions, 
and while ranging the forest together they once came to a hut, 

The were- where they found two men sound asleep. Wolf- 
woives. skins hanging near them immediately made them 
conclude that the strangers were werewolves (men whom a cruel 
spell forced to assume the habits and guise of ravenous wolves, 
and who could only resume their natural form for a short space 
at a time). Prompted by curiosity, Sigmund donned one of the 
wolf skins, Sinfiotli the other, and they were soon metamorphosed 
into wolves and rushed through the forest, slaying and devouring 
all they saw. 

Such were their wolfish passions that they soon attacked each 
other, and after a fierce struggle Sinfiotli, the younger and weaker, 
fell down dead. This sudden catastrophe brought Sigmund to 
his senses. While he hung over his murdered companion in sud- 
den despair, he saw two weasels come out of the forest and fight 
until one lay dead. The live weasel then sprang back into the 
thicket, and soon returned with a leaf, which it laid upon its 
companion's breast. At the contact of the magic herb the dead 
beast came back to life. A moment later a raven flying over- 
head dropped a similar leaf at Sigmund's feet, and he, under- 
standing that the gods wished to help him, laid it upon Sinfiotli, 
who was restored to life. 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 233 

Afraid lest they might work each other further mischief while 
in this altered guise, Sigmund and Sinfiotli now crept home and 
patiently waited until the time of release had come. On the 
ninth night the skins dropped off and they hastily flung them into 
the fire, where they were entirely consumed, and the spell was 
broken forever. 

It was now that Sigmund confided the story of his wrongs to 
Sinfiotli, who swore that, although Siggeir was his father (for 
neither he nor Sigmund knew the secret of his birth), he would 
help him to take his revenge. At nightfall, therefore, he accom- 
panied Sigmund to the palace ; they entered unseen, and con- 
cealed themselves in the cellar, behind the huge beer vats. Here 
they were discovered by Signy's two youngest children, who were 
playing with golden rings, which rolled into the cellar, and who 
thus suddenly came upon the men in ambush. 

They loudly proclaimed the discovery they had just made to 
their father and his guests, but, before Siggeir and his men could 
don their arms, Signy caught both children by the hand, and drag- 
ging them into the cellar bade her brother slay the little traitors. 
This Sigmund utterly refused to do, but Sinfiotli struck off their 
heads ere he turned to fight against the assailants, who were 
rapidly closing around him. 

In spite of all efforts Sigmund and his brave young companion 
soon fell into the hands of the Goths, whose king, Siggeir, sen- 
tenced them to be buried alive in the same mound, a stone parti- 
tion being erected between them so they could neither see nor 
touch each other. The prisoners were already confined in their 
living graves, and the men were about to place the last stones on 
the roof, when Signy drew near, bearing a bundle of straw, which 
they allowed her to throw at Sinfiotli's feet, for they fancied that 
it contained only a few provisions which would prolong his agony 
a little without helping him to escape. 

When the workmen had departed and all was still, Sinfiotli un- 
did the sheaf and shouted for joy when he found instead of bread 
the sword which Odin had given to Sigmund. Knowing that 



234 MYTHS OF XORTHERX LAXDS. 

nothing could dull or break the keen edge of this fine weapon, 
Sinfiotli thrust it through the stone partition, and, aided by Sig- 
mund, sawed an opening, and both soon effected an escape 
through the roof. 

" Then in the grave-mound's darkness did Sigmund the king upstand, 
And unto that saw of battle he set his naked hand; 
And hard the gift of Odin home to their breasts they drew; 
Sawed Sigmund. sawed Sinfiotli, till the stone was cleft atwo, 
And they met and kissed together : then they hewed and heaved 

full hard 
Till, lo, through the bursten rafters the winter heavens bestarred ! 
And they leap out merry-hearted; nor is there need to say 
A many words between them of whither was the way." 

Sigmund and Sinfiotli, free once more, noiselessly sought the 
palace, piled combustible materials around it, and setting fire to 
Sigmund's li pl ace d themselves on either side the door, de- 
vengeance, claring that none but the women should be allowed 
to pass through. Then they loudly called to Signy to escape ere 
it was too late, but she had no desire to live, and after kissing 
them both and revealing the secret of Sinfiotli's birth she sprang 
back into the flames, where she perished. 

" And then King Siggeir's roof-tree upheaved for its utmost fall, 

And its huge walls clashed together, and its mean and lowly things 
The fire of death confounded with the tokens of the kings." 

The long-planned vengeance had finally been carried out, Vol- 
sung's death had been avenged, and Sigmund, feeling that nothing 
now detained him in Gothland, set sail with Sinfiotli 
and returned to Hunaland, where he was warmly 
welcomed and again sat under the shade of his ancestral tree, 
the mighty Branstock. His authority fully established, Sigmund 
married Borghild. a beautiful princess, who bore him two sons, 
Hamond and Helgi, the latter of whom was visited by the Norns 
when he lay in his cradle, and promised sumptuous entertainment 
in Valhalla when his earthlv career should be ended. 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 235 

" And the woman was fair and lovely, and bore him sons of fame; 
Men called them Hamond and Helgi, and when Helgi first saw light 
There came the Norns to his cradle and gave him life full bright, 
And called him Sunlit Hill, Sharp Sword, and Land of Rings, 
And bade him be lovely and great, and a joy in the tale of kings." 

This young Volsung prince was fostered by Hagal, for North- 
ern kings generally entrusted their sons' education to a stranger, 
thinking they would be treated with less indulgence than at home. 
Under this tuition Helgi became so fearless that at the age of 
fifteen he ventured alone into the palace of Hunding, with whose 
whole race his family was at feud. Passing all through the palace 
unmolested and unrecognized, he left an insolent message, which 
so angered Hunding that he immediately set out in pursuit of the 
bold young prince. Hunding entered Hagal's house, and would 
have made Helgi a prisoner had the youth not disguised himself 
as a servant maid, and begun to grind corn as if it were his wonted 
occupation. The invaders marveled somewhat at the maid's tall 
stature and brawny arms, but departed without suspecting that 
they had been so near the hero whom they sought. 

Having thus cleverly escaped, Helgi joined Sinnotli ; they col- 
lected an army, and marched openly against the Hundings, with 
whom they fought a great battle, during which the Valkyrs hov- 
ered overhead, waiting to convey the slain to Valhalla. Gudrun, 
one of the battle maidens, was so charmed by the courage which 
Helgi displayed, that she openly sought him and promised to be 
his wife. Only one of the Hunding race, Dag, remained alive, 
and he was allowed to go free after promising never to try to 
avenge his kinsmen's death. This promise was not kept, how- 
ever, for Dag, having borrowed Odin's spear Gungnir, treacher- 
ously made use of it to slay Helgi. Gudrun, now his wife, wept 
many tears at his death, and solemnly cursed his murderer; 
then, hearing from one of her maids that her slain husband kept 
calling for her in the depths of his tomb, she fearlessly entered 
the mound at night and tenderly inquired why he called and why 
his wounds kept on bleeding even after death. Helgi answered 



236 MYTHS OF NORTH ERX LANDS. 

that he could not rest happy because of her grief, and declared 
that for every tear she shed a drop of his blood must flow. 

" Thou weepest, gold-adorned ! 
Cruel tears, 

Sun-bright daughter of the south ! 
Ere to sleep thou goest; 
Each one falls bloody 
On the prince's breast, 
Wet, cold, and piercing, 
With sorrow big." 

S.-emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

To still her beloved husband's sufferings, Gudrun then ceased 
to weep, but her spirit soon joined his, which had ridden over 
Bifrost and entered Valhalla, where Odin made him leader of 
the Einheriar. Here Gudrun, a Valkyr once more, continued 
to wait upon him, darting down to earth at Odin's command to 
seek new recruits for the army which her lord was to lead into 
battle when Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods, should come. 

Sinfiotli, Sigmund's eldest son, also came to an early death; 
for, having quarreled with and slain Borghild's brother, she de- 
Death of termined to poison him. Twice Sinfiotli detected 
Sinfiotli. the attempt and told his father there was poison 
in his cup. Twice Sigmund, whom no venom could injure, 
drained the bowl ; but when Borghild made a third and last 
attempt, he bade Sinfiotli let the wine flow through his beard. 
Mistaking the meaning of his father's words, Sinfiotli immediately 
drained the cup and fell to the ground lifeless, for the poison 
was of the most deadly kind. 

" He drank as he spake the words, and forthwith the venom ran 
In a chill flood over his heart, and down fell the mighty man 
With never an uttered death-word and never a death-changed look, 
And the floor of the hall of the Volsungs beneath his falling shook. 
Then up rose the elder of days with a great and bitter cry, 
And lifted the head of the fallen ; and none durst come anigh 
To hearken the words of his sorrow, if any words he said 
But such as the Father of all men might speak over Balder dead. 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 237 

And again, as before the death-stroke, waxed the hall of the 

Volsungs dim, 
And once more he seemed in the forest, where he spake with naught 

but him." 

Speechless with grief, Sigmund tenderly raised his son's body in 
his arms, and strode out of •the hall and down to the shore, where 
he deposited his precious burden in the skiff of an old one-eyed 
boatman who came at his call. But when he would fain have 
stepped aboard also, the boatman pushed off and was soon lost 
to sight. The bereaved father then slowly wended his way home 
again, knowing that Odin himself had come to claim the young 
hero and had rowed away with him " out into the west." 

Sigmund repudiated Borghild in punishment for this crime, and 
when he was very old indeed he sued for the hand of Hiordis, a 
fair young princess, daughter of Eglimi, King of 
the Islands. Although this young maiden had 
many suitors, among others King Lygni of Hunding's race, she 
gladly accepted Sigmund and became his wife. Lygni, the dis- 
carded suitor, was so angry at this decision, that he immediately 
collected an army and marched against his successful rival, who, 
overpowered by superior numbers, fought with the courage of 
despair. 

Hidden in a neighboring thicket, Hiordis and her maid 
anxiously watched the battle, saw Sigmund pile the dead around 
him and triumph over every foe, until at last a tall, one-eyed war- 
rior suddenly appeared, broke his matchless sword, and vanished, 
leaving him defenseless amid the foe, who soon cut him down. 

" But, lo ! through the hedge of the war-shafts, a mighty man there 
came, 
One-eyed and seeming ancient, but his visage shone like flame : 
Gleaming gray was his kirtle, and his hood was cloudy blue ; 
And he bore a mighty twi-bill, as he waded the fight-sheaves through, 
And stood face to face with Sigmund, and upheaved the bill to smite. 
Once more round the head of the Volsung fierce glittered the 
Branstock's light, 



238 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

The sword that came from Odin : and Sigmund's cry once more 
Rang out to the very heavens above the din of war. 
Then clashed the meeting edges with Sigmund's latest stroke, 
And in shivering shards fell earthward that fear of worldly folk. 
But changed were the eyes of Sigmund, the war-wrath left his face ; 
For that gray-clad, mighty Helper was gone, and in his place 
Drave on the unbroken spear-wood 'gainst the Volsung's empty 

hands : 
And there they smote down Sigmund, the wonder of all lands, 
On the foemen, on the death -heap his deeds had piled that day." 

All the Volsung race and army had already succumbed, so 
Lygni immediately left the battlefield to hasten on and take 
possession of the kingdom and palace, where he fully expected 
to find the fair Hiordis and force her to become his wife. As 
soon as he had gone, however, the beautiful young queen crept 
out of her hiding place in the thicket, ran to the dying Sigmund, 
caught him to her breast in a last passionate embrace, and tear- 
fully listened to his dying words. He then bade her gather up 
the fragments of his sword, carefully treasure them, and give them 
to the son whom he foretold would soon be born, and who was 
destined to avenge his death and be far greater than he. 

" ' I have wrought for the Volsungs truly, and yet have I known full 
well 
That a better one than I am shall bear the tale to tell : 
And for him shall these shards be smithied ; and he shall be my son, 
To remember what I have forgotten and to do what I left undone.' " 

While Hiordis was mourning over Sigmund's lifeless body, her 
watching handmaiden warned her of the approach of a party of 
Elf the vikings. Retreating into the thicket once more, 

viking. Hiordis exchanged garments with her ; then, bid- 

ding her walk first and personate the queen, they went to meet 
the viking Elf (Helfrat or Helferich), and so excited his admira- 
tion for Sigmund that he buried him with all pomp, and promised 
them a safe asylum in his house. 

As he had doubted their relative positions from the very first 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 239 

moment, he soon resorted to a seemingly idle question to ascer- 
tain their real rank. The pretended queen, when asked how she 
knew the hour had come for rising when the winter days were 
short and there was no light to announce the coming of morn, 
replied that, as she was in the habit of drinking milk ere she fed 
the cows, she always awoke thirsty. But when the same question 
was put to the real Hiordis, she answered that she knew it was 
morning because the golden ring her father had given her grew 
cold on her hand. 

Elf, having thus discovered the true state of affairs, offered 
marriage to the pretended handmaiden, Hiordis, promising to 
foster her child by Sigmund — a promise which 
he nobly kept. The child was sprinkled with water 
by his hand — a ceremony which our pagan ancestors scrupu- 
lously performed — received from him the name of Sigurd, and 
grew up in the palace. There he was treated as the king's own 
son, receiving his education from Regin, the wisest of men, who 
knew all things and was even aware of his own fate, which was 
to fall by a youth's hand. 

"Again in the house of the Helper there dwelt a certain man, 
Beardless and low of stature, of visage pinched and wan: 
So exceeding old was Regin, that no son of man could tell 
In what year of the days passed over he came to that land to dwell : 
But the youth of king Elf had he fostered, and the Helper's youth 

thereto, 
Yea, and his father's father's : the lore of all men he knew, 
And was deft in every cunning, save the dealings of the sword : 
So sweet was his tongue-speech fashioned, that men trowed his 

every word ; 
His hand with the harp-strings blended was the mingler of delight 
With the latter days of sorrow ; all tales he told aright ; 
The Master of the Masters in the smithying craft was he ; 
And he dealt with the wind and the weather and the stilling of the 

sea; 
Nor might any learn him leech-craft, for before that race was made, 
And that man-folk's generation, all their life-days had he weighed." 



240 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Under this tutor young Sigurd grew up to great wisdom. He 
mastered the smith craft, and the art of carving all manner of 
runes, learned languages, music, and eloquence, and, last but not 
least, became a doughty warrior whom none could subdue. By 
Regin's advice, Sigurd, having reached manhood, asked the king 
for a war horse — a request which was immediately granted, for 
he was bidden hasten to Gripir, the stud-keeper, and choose from 
his flock the steed he liked best. 

On his way to the meadow where the horses were at pasture, 
Sigurd encountered a one-eyed stranger, clad in gray and blue, 
who bade him drive the horses into the river and select the one 
which could breast the foaming tide most successfully. 

Sigurd, acting according to this advice, noticed that one horse, 
after crossing, raced around the meadow on the opposite side ; 
then, plunging back into the river, he returned to his former 
pasture without showing any signs of fatigue. The young hero 
selected this horse, therefore, calling him Grane or Greyfell. 
This steed was a descendant of Odin's eight-footed horse Sleip- 
nir, and, besides being unusually strong and indefatigable, was as 
fearless as his master. A short time after this, while Regin and 
his pupil were sitting over the fire, the former struck his harp, 
and, after the manner of the Northern scalds, sang or recited the 
following tale, which was the story of his life : 

Hreidmar, king of the dwarf folk, was the father of three sons. 
Fafnir, the eldest, was gifted with a fearless soul and a powerful 
The treasure of nan d ; Otter, the second, with snare and net, and 
the dwarf king, ^ power of changing form at will ; and Regin, 
the third, could, as we have already seen, command all knowl- 
edge and skillfully ply the trade of a smith. To please the ava- 
ricious old Hreidmar, this youngest son fashioned for him a house 
which was all lined with glittering gold and flashing gems, and 
guarded by Fafnir, whose fierce glances and ^Egis helmet none 
dared encounter. 

Now it came to pass that Odin, Hoenir, and Loki once came 
down upon earth in human guise for one of their wonted expedi- 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 241 

tions to test the hearts of men, and soon reached the land where 
Hreidmar dwelt. 

" And the three were the heart-wise Odin, the Father of the Slain, 
And Loki, the World's Begrudger, who maketh all labor vain, 
And Honir, the Utter-Blameless, who wrought the hope of man, 
And his heart and inmost yearnings, when first the work began: — 
The God that was aforetime, and hereafter yet shall be 
When the new light yet undreamed of shall shine o'er earth and 
sea." 

These gods had not wandered very far before Loki perceived 
an otter basking in the sun. Animated by his usual spirit of de- 
struction, he slew the unoffending beast — which, as it happened, 
was the dwarf king's second son, Otter — and flung its lifeless 
body over his shoulders, thinking it would furnish a good dish 
when meal time came. 

Following his companions, Loki came at last to Hreidmar's 
house, entered with them, and flung his burden down upon the 
floor. The moment the dwarf king's glance fell upon it he flew 
into a towering rage, and before the gods could help themselves 
they were bound by his order, and heard him declare that they 
should never recover their liberty unless they could satisfy his 
thirst for gold by giving him enough of that precious substance 
to cover the otterskin inside and out. 

" ' Now hearken the doom I shall speak ! Ye stranger-folk shall be 

free 
When ye give me the Flame of the Waters, the gathered Gold of 

the Sea, 
That Andvari hideth rejoicing in the wan realm pale as the grave ; 
And the Master of Sleight shall fetch it, and the hand that never 

gave, 
And the heart that begrudgeth forever, shall gather and give and 

rue. 
Lo, this is the doom of the wise, and no doom shall be spoken 

anew.' " 



242 MYTHS OF NORTHERX LANDS. 

As this otterskin had the property of stretching itself out to a 
fabulous size, no ordinary treasure could suffice to cover it. The 
gods therefore bade Loki, who was liberated to procure the ran- 
som, hasten off to the waterfall where the dwarf Andvari dwelt, 
and secure the treasure he had amassed by magical means. 

" There is a desert' of dread in the uttermost part of the world, 
Where over a wall of mountains is a mighty water hurled, 
Whose hidden head none knoweth, nor where it meeteth the sea ; 
And that force is the Force of Andvari, and an Elf of the dark is he. 
In the cloud and the desert he dwelleth amid that land alone ; 
And his work is the storing of treasure within his house of stone." 

In spite of diligent search, however, Loki could not find the 
dwarf ; but perceiving a salmon sporting in the foaming w r aters, 
he shrewdly concluded the dwarf must have assumed this shape, 
and borrowing Ran's net he soon had the fish in his power. As 
he had suspected, it was Andvari, who, in exchange for liberty, 
reluctantly brought forth his mighty treasure and surrendered it 
all, including the Helmet of Dread and a hauberk of gold, re- 
serving only the ring he w r ore, which was gifted with miraculous 
powers, and, like a magnet, helped him to collect the precious 
ore. But the greedy Loki, catching sight of it, wrenched it away 
from him and departed laughing, while the dwarf hurled angry 
curses after him, declaring that the ring would ever prove its 
possessor's bane and would cause the death of many. 

"That gold 
Which the dwarf possessed 
Shall to two brothers 
Be cause of death, 
And to eight princes, 
Of dissension. 
From my wealth no one 
Shall good derive." 

SjEMUNd's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

On arriving at Hreidmar's hut, Loki found the mighty treasure 
none too great, for the skin widened and spread, and he was 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 243 

even forced to give the ring Andvaranaut (Andvari's loom) to 
purchase his and his companions' release. The gold thus ob- 
tained soon became a curse, as Andvari had predicted, for Fafnir 
and Regin both coveted a share. As for Hreidmar, he gloated 
over his treasure night and day, and Fafnir the invincible, see- 
ing that he could not obtain it otherwise, slew his own father, 
donned the Helmet of Dread and the hauberk of gold, grasped 
the sword Hrotti, and when Regin came to claim a part drove 
him scornfully out into the world, where he bade him earn his 
own living. 

Thus exiled, Regin took refuge among men, to whom he taught 
the arts of sowing and reaping. He showed them how to work 
metals, sail the seas, tame horses, yoke beasts of burden, build 
houses, spin, weave, and sew — in short, all the industries of civil- 
ized life, which had hitherto been unknown. Years elapsed, and 
Regin patiently bided his time, hoping that some day he would 
find a hero strong enough to avenge his wrongs upon Fafnir, 
whom years of gloating over his treasure had changed into a 
horrible dragon, the terror of Gnitaheid (Glittering Heath), where 
he had taken up his abode. 

His story finished, Regin suddenly turned to the attentive 
Sigurd, told him he knew that he. could slay the dragon if he 
wished, and inquired whether he were ready to help his old tutor 
avenge his wrongs. 

" And he spake : ' Hast thou hearkened, Sigurd? Wilt thou help a 

man that is old 
To avenge him for his father? Wilt thou win that treasure of gold 
And be more than the kings of the earth ? Wilt thou rid the earth 

of a wrong 
And heal the woe and the sorrow my heart hath endured o'er long? ' ' : 

Sigurd immediately assented, declaring, however, that the curse 
must be assumed by Regin, for he would have none of it ; and, in 
order to be well prepared for the coming fight, he 

r r _ ° ° Sigurd's sword. 

asked his master to forge him a sword which no 

blow could break. Twice Regin fashioned a marvelous weapon, 



244 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

but twice Sigurd broke it to pieces on the anvil. Then, declar- 
ing that he must have a sword which would not fail him in time 
of need, he begged the broken fragments of Sigmund's weapon 
from his mother Hiordis, and either forged himself or made 
Regin forge a matchless blade, whose temper was such that it 
neatly severed some wool floating gently down the stream, and 
divided the great anvil in two without being even dinted. 

After paying a farewell visit to Gripir, who, knowing the future, 
foretold every event in his coming career, Sigurd took leave of 
his mother, and accompanied by Regin set sail from his native 
land, promising to slay the dragon as soon as he had fulfilled his 
first duty, which was to avenge his father Sigmund's death. 

" ' First wilt thou, prince, 
Avenge thy father, 
And for the wrongs of Eglymi 
Wilt retaliate. 
Thou wilt the cruel, 
The sons of Hunding, 
Boldly lay low : 
Thou wilt have victory.' " 

Lay of Sigurd Fafnicide (Thorpe's tr.). 

On his way to the Volsung land Sigurd saw a man walking on 
the waters, and took him on board, little suspecting that this in- 
dividual, who said his name was Feng or Fiollnir, was Odin or 
Hnikar, the wave stiller. He therefore conversed freely with the 
stranger, who promised him favorable winds, and learned from 
him how to distinguish auspicious from unauspicious omens. 

After slaying Lygni and cutting the bloody eagle on his foes, 
Sigurd left his reconquered kingdom and went with Regin to slay 
The fight with Fafnir. A long ride through the mountains, which 

the dragon. rose higher and higher before him, brought him 
at last to his goal, where a one-eyed stranger bade him dig 
trenches in the middle of the track along, which the dragon daily 
rolled his slimy length to go down to the river and quench his 




SIGURD AND THE DRAGON.— K. Dielitz. 






THE SIGURD SAGA. 245 

thirst. He then bade Sigurd cower in one of those holes, and 
there wait until the monster passed over him, when he could drive 
his trusty weapon straight into its heart. 

Sigurd gratefully followed this advice, and as the monster's 
loathsome, slimy folds rolled overhead he thrust his sword under 
its left breast, and, deluged with blood, sprang out of the trench 
as the dragon rolled aside in the throes of death. 

" Then all sank into silence, and the son of Sigmund stood 
On the torn and furrowed desert by the pool of Fafnir's blood, 
And the serpent lay before him, dead, chilly, dull, and gray ; 
And over the Glittering Heath fair shone the sun and the day, 
And a light wind followed the sun and breathed o'er the fateful 

place, 
As fresh as it furrows the sea plain, or bows the acres' face." 

Regin, who had prudently remained at a distance until all 
danger was over, seeing his foe was slain, now came up to Sigurd ; 
and fearing lest the strong young conqueror should glory in his 
deed and claim a reward, he began to accuse him of having mur- 
dered his kin, and declared that instead of requiring life for life, 
as was his right according to Northern law, he would consider it 
sufficient atonement if Sigurd would cut out the monster's heart 
and roast it for him on a spit. 

" Then Regin spake to Sigurd : ' Of this slaying wilt thou be free ? 
Then gather thou fire together and roast the heart for me, 
That I may eat it and live, and be thy master and more ; 
For therein was might and wisdom, and the grudged and hoarded 

lore: — 
Or else depart on thy ways afraid from the Glittering Heath.' " 

Sigurd, knowing that a true warrior never refused satisfaction 
of some kind to the kindred of the slain, immediately prepared 
to act as cook, while Regin dozed until the meat was ready. 
Feeling of the heart to ascertain whether it were tender, Sigurd 
burned h^s fingers so severely that he instinctively thrust them 
into his mouth to allay the smart. No sooner had Fafnir's blood 



246 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

touched his lips than he discovered, to his utter surprise, that he 
could understand the songs of the birds, which were already gath- 
ering around the carrion. Listening to them attentively, he found 
they were advising him to slay Regin, appropriate the gold, eat 
the heart and drink the blood of the dragon ; and as this advice 
entirely coincided with his own wishes, he lost no time in execut- 
ing it. A small portion of Fafnir's heart was reserved for future 
consumption, ere he wandered off in search of the mighty hoard. 
Then, after donning the Helmet of Dread, the hauberk of gold, 
and the ring Andvaranaut, and loading Greyfell with as much 
ruddy gold as he could carry, Sigurd sprang on his horse, listen- 
ing eagerly to the birds' songs to know what he had best under- 
take next. 

Soon he heard them sing of a warrior maiden fast asleep on a 
The sleeping mountain and all surrounded by a glittering barrier 
warrior maiden. f fl ameSj through which only the bravest of men 
could pass in order to arouse her. 

" On the fell I know 
A warrior maid to sleep ; 
Over her waves 
The linden's bane: 
Ygg whilom stuck 
A sleep-thorn in the robe 
Of the maid who 
Would heroes choose." 

Lay of Fafnir (Thorpe's tr.). 

After riding for a long while through trackless regions, Sigurd 
at last came to the Hindarfiall in Frankland, a tall mountain 
whose cloud-wreathed summit seemed circled by fiery flames. 

"Long Sigurd rideth the waste, when, lo ! on a morning of day, 
From out of the tangled crag walls, amidst the cloudland gray, 
Comes up a mighty mountain, and it is as though there burns 
A torch amidst of its cloud wreath ; so thither Sigurd turns, 
For he deems indeed from its topmost to look on the best of the earth; 
And Greyfell neigheth beneath him, and his heart is full of mirth." 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 247 

Riding straight up this mountain, he saw the light grow more 
and more vivid, and soon a barrier of lurid flames stood before 
him ; but although the fire crackled and roared, it could not 
daunt our hero, who plunged bravely into its very midst. 

" Now Sigurd turns in his saddle, and the hilt of the Wrath he shifts, 
And draws a girth the tighter ; then the gathered reins he lifts, 
And crieth aloud to Greyfell, and rides at the wildfire's heart ; 
But the white wall wavers before him and the flame-flood rusheth 

apart, 
And high o'er his head it riseth, and wide and wild its roar 
As it beareth the mighty tidings to the very heavenly floor: 
But he rideth through its roaring as the warrior rides the rye, 
When it bows with the wind of the summer and the hid spears 

draw anigh ; 
The white flame licks his raiment and sweeps through Greyfell's 

mane, 
And bathes both hands of Sigurd and the hilt of Fafnir's bane, 
And winds about his war-helm and mingles with his hair, 
But naught his raiment dusketh or dims his glittering gear; 
Then it fails and fades and darkens till all seems left behind, 
And dawn and the blaze is swallowed in mid-mirk stark and blind." 

No sooner had Sigurd thus fearlessly sprung into the very 
heart of the flames than the fire flickered and died out, leaving 
nothing but a broad circle of white ashes, through which he rode 
until he came to a great castle, with shield-hung walls, in which 
he penetrated unchallenged, for the gates were wide open and no 
warders or men at arms were to be seen. Proceeding cautiously, 
for he feared some snare, Sigurd at last came to the center of the 
inclosure, where he saw a recumbent form all cased in armor. 
To remove the helmet was but a moment's work, but Sigurd 
started back in surprise when he beheld, instead of a warrior, 
the sleeping face of a most beautiful woman. 

All his efforts to awaken her were quite vain, however, until 
he had cut the armor off her body, and she lay before him in 
pure-white linen garments, her long golden hair rippling and 
waving around her. As the last fastening of her armor gave way, 



248 MYTHS OF XORTHERX LAXDS. 

she opened wide her beautiful eyes, gazed in rapture upon the 
rising sun, and after greeting it with enthusiasm she turned to her 

deliverer, whom she loved at first sight, as he loved her. 

" Then she turned and gazed on Sigurd, and her eyes met the Vol- 
sung's eyes. 
And mighty and measureless now did the tide of his love arise, 
For their longing had met and mingled, and he knew of her heart 

that she loved, 
And she spake unto nothing but him, and her lips with the speech- 
flood moved." 

The maiden now proceeded to inform Sigurd that she was 
Brunhild, according to some authorities the daughter of an earthly 
king. Odin had raised her to the rank of a Valkyr, in which 
capacity she had served him faithfully for a long while. But 
once she had ventured to set her own wishes above his, and, 
instead of leaving the victory to the old king for whom he had 
designated it, had favored his younger and therefore more attrac- 
tive opponent. 

In punishment for this act of disobedience, she was deprived 
of her office and banished to earth, where Allfather decreed she 
must many like any other member of her sex. This sentence filled 
Brunhild's heart with dismay, for she greatly feared lest it might 
be her fate to mate with a coward, whom she would despise. 
To quiet these apprehensions, Odin placed her on Hindarfiall or 
Hindfell, stung her with the Thorn of Sleep, that she might await 
in unchanged youth and beauty the coming of her destined hus- 
band and surrounded her with a barrier of flame which none but 
the bravest would venture to pass through. 

From the top of the Hindarfiall, Brunhild now pointed out to 
Sigurd her former home, at Lymdale or Hunaland, telling him he 
would find her there whenever he chose to come and claim her 
as his wife ; and then, while they stood on the lonely mountain 
top together, Sigurd placed the ring Andvaranaut upon her hand, 
in sign of betrothal, swearing to love her alone as long as life 
endured.' 




BRUNHILD'S AWAKENING.— Th. Pixis. 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 249 

" From his hand then draweth Sigurd Andvari's ancient Gold ; 
There is naught but the sky above them as the ring together they 

hold, 
The shapen-ancient token, that hath no change nor end, 
No change, and no beginning, no flaw for God to mend : 
Then Sigurd cries : ' O Brynhild, now hearken while I swear 
That the sun shall die in the heavens and the day no more be fair, 
If I seek not love in Lymdale and the house that fostered thee, 
And the land where thou awakedst 'twixt the woodland and the sea ! ' 
And she cried : ' O Sigurd, Sigurd, now hearken while I swear 
That the day shall die forever and the sun to blackness wear, 
Ere I forget thee, Sigurd, as I lie 'twixt wood and sea 
In the little land of Lymdale and the house that fostered me ! ' " 

According to some authorities, after thus plighting their troth 
the lovers parted ; according to others, Sigurd soon sought out 
and married Brunhild, with whom he lived for a The fostering 
while in perfect happiness, until forced to leave of Aslau s- 
her and his infant daughter Aslaug. This child, left orphaned at 
three years of age, was fostered by Brunhild's father, who, driven 
away from home, concealed her in a cunningly fashioned harp, 
until reaching a distant land he was murdered by a peasant couple 
for the sake of the gold they supposed it to contain. Their sur- 
prise and disappointment were great indeed when, on breaking the 
instrument open, they found a beautiful little girl, whom they 
deemed mute, as she would not speak a word. Time passed on, 
and the child, whom they had trained to do all their labor, grew 
up to be a beautiful maiden who won the affections of a passing 
viking, Ragnar Lodbrog, King of the Danes, to whom she told 
her tale. After a year's probation, during which he won glory in 
many lands, he came back and married her. 

" She heard a voice she deemed well known, 
Long waited through dull hours bygone, 
And round her mighty arms were cast : 
But when her trembling red lips passed 
From out the heaven of that dear kiss, 
And eyes met eyes, she saw in his 



250 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Fresh pride, fresh hope, fresh love, and saw 
The long sweet days still onward draw, 
Themselves still going hand in hand, 
As now they went adown the strand." 

The Fostering of Aslaug (William Morris). 



The story of Sigurd and Brunhild did not end on the Hin- 
darfial, however, for the hero soon went to seek adventures in the 
great w T orld, where he had vowed, in true knightly fashion, to 
right the wrong and defend the fatherless and oppressed. 

In the course of his wanderings, Sigurd finally came to the 

land of the Niblungs, the land of continual mist, where Giuki 

and Grimhild were king and queen. The latter was 

The Niblungs. \ H 

specially powerful, as she was well versed m magic 
lore and could not only weave spells and mutter incantations, 
but could also concoct marvelous potions which would steep the 
drinker in temporary forgetfulness and make him yield to what- 
ever she wished. 

The Niblung king was father of three sons, Gunnar, Hogni, 
and Guttorm, who were brave young men, and of one daughter, 
Gudrun, the gentlest as well as the most beautiful of maidens. 
Sigurd was warmly welcomed by Giuki, and invited to tarry 
awhile. He accepted the invitation, shared all the pleasures and 
occupations of the Niblungs, even accompanying them to war, 
where he distinguished himself by his valor, and so won the 
admiration of Grimhild that she resolved to secure him as her 
daughter's husband at any price. She therefore brewed one of 
her magic potions, which she bade Gudrun give him, and when 
he had partaken of it, he utterly forgot Brunhild and his plighted 
troth, and gazed upon Gudrun with an admiration which by the 
queen's machinations was soon changed to ardent love. 

" But the heart was changed in Sigurd; as though it ne'er had been 
His love of Brynhild perished as he gazed on the Niblung Queen : 
Brynhild's beloved body was e'en as a wasted hearth, 
No more for bale or blessing, for plenty or for dearth." 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 251 

Although haunted by a vague dread that he had forgotten 
something important, Sigurd asked for and obtained Gudrun's 
hand, and celebrated his wedding amid the rejoicings of the 
people, who loved him very dearly. He gave his bride some of 
Fafnir's heart to eat, and the moment she had tasted it her 
nature was changed, and she began to grow cold and silent to all 
except him. Sigurd further cemented his alliance with the eldest 
two Giukings (as the sons of Giuki were called) by stepping 
down into the doom ring with them, cutting out a sod which was 
placed upon a shield, beneath which they stood while they bared 
and slightly cut their right arms, and allowing their blood to 
mingle in the fresh earth, over which the sod was again laid after 
they had sworn eternal friendship. 

But although Sigurd loved his wife and felt true brotherly 
affection for her brothers, he could not get rid of his haunting 
sense of oppression, and was seldom seen to smile as radiantly 
as of old. Giuki having died, Grimhild besought Gunnar, his 
successor, to take a wife, suggesting that none seemed more 
worthy to become Queen of the Niblungs than Brunhild, who, it 
was reported, sat in a golden hall surrounded by flames, whence 
she had declared she would issue only to marry the warrior who 
would dare pass through the fire to her side. 

Gunnar immediately prepared to seek this bride, and strength- 
ened by one of his mother's magic potions, and encouraged by 
Sigurd, who accompanied him, he felt very con- Gunnar>s 
fident of success. But when he would daringly stratagem, 
have ridden straight into the fire, his steed drew back affrighted 
and he could not induce him to advance a step. Seeing that 
Greyfell did not flinch, he asked him of Sigurd ; but although the 
steed allowed Gunnar to mount, he would not stir unless his mas- 
ter were on his back. Gunnar, disappointed, sprang to earth and 
accepted Sigurd's proposal to assume his face and form, ride 
through the flames, and woo the bride by proxy. This decep- 
tion could easily be carried out, thanks to the Helmet of Dread, 
and to a magic potion which Grimhild had given Gunnar. 



252 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

The transformation having been brought about, Greyfell 
bounded through the flames with his master, and bore him to the 
palace door, where he dismounted, and entering the large hall 
came into the presence of Brunhild, whom he failed to recog- 
nize, owing to Grimhild's spell. Brunhild started back in dismay 
when she saw the dark-haired knight, for she had deemed it utter- 
ly impossible for any but Sigurd to cross the flames, and she, too, 
did not know her lover in his altered guise. 

Reluctantly she rose from her seat to receive him, and as'she 
had bound herself by a solemn oath to accept as husband the man 
who braved the flames, she allowed him to take his lawful place 
by her side. Sigurd silently approached, carefully laid his drawn 
sword between them, and satisfied Brunhild's curiosity concern- 
ing this singular behavior by telling her that the gods had bidden 
him celebrate his wedding thus. 

" There they went in one bed together; but the foster-brother laid 
'Twixt him and the body of Brynhild his bright blue battle-blade, 
And she looked and heeded it nothing; but, e'en as the dead folk 

lie, 
With folded hands she lay there, and let the night go by : 
And as still lay that image of Gunnar as the dead of life forlorn, 
And hand on hand he folded as he waited for the morn. 
So oft in the moonlit minster your fathers may ye see 
By the side of the ancient mothers await the day to be." 

Three days passed thus, and when the fourth morning dawned, 
Sigurd drew the ring Andvaranaut from Brunhild's hand, replaced 
it by another, and received her solemn promise that in ten days' 
time she would appear at the Niblung court to take up her duties 
as queen and be a faithful wife. 

" I thank thee, King, for thy goodwill, and thy pledge of love I take. 
Depart with my troth to thy people : but ere full ten days are o'er 
I shall come to the Sons of the Niblungs, and then shall we part no 

more 
Till the day of the change of our life-days, when Odin and Freya 

shall call." 




(Opp p. 252.) 

GUDRUN GIVING THE MAGIC DRINK TO SIGURD.— Th. Pixis. 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 253 

Then Sigurd again passed out of the palace through the ashes 
lying white and cold, and joined Gunnar, with whom he hastened 
to exchange forms once more, after he had reported the success 
of his venture. The warriors rode homeward together, and Sigurd 
revealed only to Gudrun the secret of her brother's wooing, giving 
her the fatal ring, which he little suspected would be the cause of 
many woes. 

True to her promise, Brunhild appeared ten days later, sol- 
emnly blessed the house she was about to enter, greeted Gunnar 
kindly, and allowed him to conduct her to the great hall, where 
she saw Sigurd seated beside Gudrun. He looked up at the 
selfsame moment, and as he encountered Brunhild's reproachful 
glance Grimhild's spell was broken and he was struck by an 
anguished recollection of the happy past. It was too late, how- 
ever : they were both in honor bound, he to Gudrun and she to 
Gunnar, whom she passively followed to the high seat, where she 
sat beside him listening to the songs of the bards. 

But, although apparently calm, Brunhild's heart was hot with 
anger, and she silently nursed her wrath, often stealing out of 
her husband's palace to wander alone in the forest, where she 
could give vent to her grief. 

In the mean while, Gunnar, seeing his wife so coldly indiffer- 
ent to all his protestations of affection, began to have jealous 
suspicions and wondered whether Sigurd had honestly told the 
whole story of the wooing, and whether he had not taken advan- 
tage of his position to win Brunhild's love. Sigurd alone contin- 
ued the even tenor of his way, doing good to all, fighting none 
but tyrants and oppressors, and cheering all he met by his kindly 
words and smile. 

One day the queens went down to the Rhine to bathe, and 
as they were entering the water Gudrun claimed precedence by 
right of her husband's courage. Brunhild refused Q uarrel of the 
to yield what she deemed her right, and a quarrel queens, 
ensued, in the course of which Gudrun accused her sister-in-law 
of infidelity, producing the ring Andvaranaut in support of her 



254 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

charge. Crushed by this revelation, Brunhild hastened home- 
ward, and lay on her bed in speechless grief day after day, until 
all thought she would die. In vain did Gunnar and all the 
members of the royal family seek her in turn and implore her to 
speak ; she would not utter a word until Sigurd came and in- 
quired the cause of her great grief. Like a long-pent-up stream, 
her love and anger now burst forth, and she overwhelmed the 
hero with reproaches, until his heart swelled with grief for her 
sorrow and burst the tight bands of his strong armor. 

"Out went Sigurd 
From that interview 
Into the hall of kings, 
Writhing with anguish; 
So that began to start 
The ardent warrior's 
Iron-woven sark 
Off from his sides." 

SiEMUND's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

But although he even offered to repudiate Gudrun to reinstate 
her in her former rights, she refused to listen to his words, and 
dismissed him, saying that she must never prove faithless to Gun- 
nar. Her pride was such, however, that she could not endure 
the thought that tw r o living men had called her wife, and the 
next time her husband sought her presence she implored him 
to put Sigurd to death, thus increasing his jealousy and suspi- 
cions. He refused to grant this prayer because he had sworn 
good fellowship with Sigurd, and she prevailed upon Hogni to 
work her will. As he, too, did not wish to violate his oath, he in- 
duced Guttorm, by means of much persuasion and one of Grim- 
hild's potions, to do the dastardly deed. 

In the dead of night, Guttorm stole into Sigurd's chamber, sword 
in hand ; but as he bent over the bed he saw Sigurd's bright eyes 

Death of fixed upon him, and fled precipitately. Later on 

Sigurd. ] ie re t ur ned and the same scene was repeated ; but 

towards morning, when he stole in for the third time, he found 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 255 

the hero asleep and traitorously drove his spear through his 
back. 

Mortally wounded, Sigurd raised himself in bed, grasped his 
wonderful sword hanging beside him, flung it full at the flying 
murderer, and cut him in two just as he reached the door. His 
last remaining strength thus exhausted, Sigurd sank back, whis- 
pered a last farewell to the terrified Gudrun, and breathed his last. 

" ' Mourn not, O Gudrun, this stroke is the last of ill; 
Fear leaveth the house of the Niblungs on this breaking of the 

morn ; 
Mayest thou live, O woman beloved, unforsaken, unforlorn ! 
It is Brynhild's deed,' he murmured, ' and the woman that loves me 

well ; 
Naught now is left to repent of, and the tale abides to tell. 
I have done many deeds in my life-days; and all these, and my love 

they lie 
In the hollow hand of Odin till the day of the world go by. 
I have done and I may not undo, I have given and I take not again : 
Art thou other than I, Allfather, wilt thou gather my glory in 

vain ? ' " 

Sigurd's infant son was also slain, and poor Gudrun mourned 
over her dead in speechless, tearless grief ; while Brunhild laughed 
aloud, thereby incurring the wrath of Gunnar, who repented now, 
but too late, of his share in the dastardly crime. 

While the assembled people were erecting a mighty funeral 
pyre — which they decorated with precious hangings, fresh flow- 
ers, and glittering arms, as was the custom for the burial of a 
prince — Gudrun was surrounded by women, who, seeing her 
tearless anguish, and fearing lest her heart would break if her 
tears did not flow, began to recount the bitterest sorrows they 
had known, one even telling of the loss of all she held dear. 
But their attempts to make her weep were utterly vain, until they 
laid her husband's head in her lap, bidding her kiss him as if he 
were still alive ; then her tears began to flow in torrents. 

The reaction soon set in for Brunhild also ; her resentment was 



256 MYTHS OF NOT THERM LANDS. 

all forgotten when she saw Sigurd laid on the pyre in all his mar- 
tial array, with the burnished armor, the Helmet of Dread, and the 
trappings of his horse, which was to be burned with him, as well 
as several of his faithful servants who could not survive his loss. 
She withdrew to her apartment, distributed all her wealth among 
her handmaidens, donned her richest array, and stretching herself 
out upon her bed stabbed herself. 

In dying accents she then bade Gunnar lay her beside the 
hero she loved, with the glittering, unsheathed sword between 
them, as it had lain when he had wooed her by proxy. When 
she had breathed her last, these orders were punctually executed, 
and both bodies were burned amid the lamentations of all the 
Niblungs. 

''They are gone — the lovely, the mighty, the hope of the ancient 

Earth: 
It shall labor and bear the burden as before that day of their birth : 
It shall groan in its blind abiding for the day that Sigurd hath sped, 
And the hour that Brynhild hath hastened, and the dawn that 

waketh the dead: 
It shall yearn, and be oft-times holpen, and forget their deeds no 

more, 
Till the new sun beams on Balder and the happy sealess shore." 

According to another version of the story, Sigurd was treach- 
erously slain by the Giukings while hunting in the forest, and 
his body was borne home by the hunters and laid at his wife's 
feet. 

Gudrun, still inconsolable, and loathing the kindred who had 
thus treacherously robbed her of all her joy, fled from her father's 
house and took refuge with Elf, Sigurd's foster father, who, after 
Hiordis's death, had married Thora, the daughter of King Ha- 
kon. The two women became great friends, and here Gudrun 
tarried several years, working tapestry in which she embroidered 
the great deeds of Sigurd, and watching over her little daughter 
Swanhild, whose bright eyes reminded her so vividly of the hus- 
band whom she had lost. 




BRUNHILD.— Th. Pixis. 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 257 

In the mean while, Atli, Brunhild's brother, who was now King 
of the Huns, had sent to Gunnar to demand atonement for his 
sister's death ; and to satisfy these claims Gunnar Atli Ki of 
had promised that in due time he would give him the Huns - 
Gudrun's hand in marriage. Time passed, and when at last Atli 
clamored for the fulfillment of his promise, the Niblung brothers, 
with their mother Grimhild, went to seek the long-absent Gudrun, 
and by their persuasions and the magic potion administered by 
Grimhild succeeded in persuading her to leave little Swanhild in 
Denmark and become Atli's wife. 

Gudrun dwelt, year after year, in the land of the Huns, secretly 
hating her husband, whose avaricious tendencies were extremely 
repugnant to her ; and she was not even consoled for Sigurd's 
death and Swanhild's loss by the birth of two sons, Erp and Eitel. 
As she lovingly thought of the past she often spoke of it, little 
suspecting that her descriptions of the wealth of the Niblungs 
excited Atli's greed, and that he was secretly planning some pre- 
text for getting it into his power. 

Finally he decided to send Knefrud or Wingi, one of his sub- 
jects, to invite all the Niblung princes to visit his court, intend- 
ing to slay them when he should have them at his mercy ; but 
Gudrun, fathoming this design, sent a runic-written warning to 
her brothers, together with the ring Andvaranaut, around which 
she had twined a wolf's hair. On the way, however, the messen- 
ger partly effaced the runes, thus changing their meaning ; and 
when he appeared before the Niblungs, Gunnar accepted the in- 
vitation, in spite of Hogni's and Grimhild's warnings and the 
ominous dream of his new wife Glaumvor. 

Before his departure, however, they prevailed upon him to se- 
cretly bury the great Niblunff hoard in the Rhine, Burial of the 

, • V . 3 , 1 1 • • t Niblung 

where it was sunk in a deep hole, the position or treasure, 
which was known to the royal brothers only, and which they 
took a solemn oath never to reveal. 

"Down then and whirling outward the ruddy Gold fell forth, 
As a flame in the dim gray morning flashed out a kingdom's worth ; 



2$& MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Then the waters roared above it, the wan water and the foam 
Flew up o'er the face of the rock-wall as the tinkling Gold fell home, 
Unheard, unseen forever, a wonder and a tale, 
Till the last of earthly singers from the sons of men shall fail." 

In martial array they then rode out of the city of the Nib- 
lungs, which they were never again to see, and after many un- 
The treachery important adventures came into the land of the 
of Ath. Huns, where, on reaching Atli's hall and finding 

themselves surrounded by foes, they slew the traitor Knefrud, and 
prepared to sell their lives as dearly as possible. 

Gudrun rushed to meet them, embraced them tenderly, and, 
seeing that they must fight, grasped a weapon and loyally helped 
them in the terrible massacre which ensued. When the first on- 
slaught was over, Gunnar kept up the spirits of his followers by 
playing on his harp, which he laid aside only to grasp his sword 
and make havoc among the foe. Thrice the brave Niblungs 
resisted the assault of the Huns ere, wounded, faint, and weary, 
Gunnar and Hogni, now sole survivors, fell into the hands of 
their foes, who bound them securely and led them off to prison 
to aw T ait death. 

Atli, who had prudently abstained from taking any active part 
in the fight, had his brothers-in-law brought in turn before him, 
promising freedom if they would only reveal the hiding place of 
the golden hoard ; but they proudly kept silence, and it was only 
after much torture that Gunnar acknowledged that he had sworn 
a solemn oath never to reveal the secret as long as Hogni lived, 
and declared he would believe his brother dead only when his 
heart was brought to him on a platter. 

•''With a dreadful voice cried Gunnar : ' O fool, hast thou heard it told 
Who won the Treasure aforetime and the ruddy rings of the Gold? 
It was Sigurd, child of the Volsungs, the best sprung forth from the 

best: 
He rode from the North and the mountains, and became my summer- 
guest, 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 259 

My friend and my brother sworn : he rode the Wavering Fire, 

And won me the Queen of Glory and accomplished my desire ; 

The praise of the world he was, the hope of the biders in wrong, 

The help of the lowly people, the hammer of the strong : 

Ah! oft in the world, henceforward, shall the tale be told of the deed, 

And I, e'en I, will tell it in the day of the Niblungs' Need : 

For I sat night-long in my armor, and when light was wide o'er the 

land 
I slaughtered Sigurd my brother, and looked on the work of mine 

hand. 
And now, O mighty Atli, I have seen the Niblung's wreck, 
And the feet of the faint-heart dastard have trodden Gunnar's neck; 
And if all be little enough, and the Gods begrudge me rest, 
Let me see the heart of Hogni cut quick from his living breast 
And laid on the dish before me : and then shall I tell of the Gold, 
And become thy servant, Atli, and my life at thy pleasure hold. ' " 

Urged by greed, Atli immediately ordered that Hogni's heart 
should be brought ; but his servants, fearing to lay hands on such 
a grim warrior, slew the cowardly scullion Hialli. This trembling 
heart called forth contemptuous words from Gunnar, who de- 
clared such a timorous organ could never have belonged to his 
fearless brother. But when, in answer to a second angry com- 
mand from Atli, the unquivering heart of Hogni was really brought, 
Gunnar recognized it, and turning to the monarch solemnly swore 
that since the secret now rested with him alone it would never be 
revealed. 

Livid with anger, the king bade him be thrown, with bound 
hands, into a den of venomous snakes, where, his harp having 
been flung after him in derision, Gunnar calmly sat, The last of the 
playing it with his toes, and lulling all the reptiles Niblungs. 
to sleep save one only. This snake was said to be Atli's mother 
in disguise, and it finally bit him in the side, silencing his tri- 
umphant song forever. 

To celebrate the death of his foes, Atli ordered a great feast, 
commanding Gudrun to be present to wait upon him. Then he 
heartily ate and drank, little suspecting that his wife had slain 



260 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

both his sons, and was serving up their roasted hearts and their 
blood mixed with wine in cups made of their skulls. When the 
king and his men were intoxicated, Gudrun, according to one 
version of the story, set fire to the palace, and when the drunken 
sleepers awoke, too late to escape, she revealed all she had done, 
stabbed her husband, and perished in the flames with the Huns. 
According to another version, however, she murdered Atli with 
Sigurd's sword, placed his body on a ship, which she sent adrift, 
and then cast herself into the sea, where she was drowned. 

" She spread out her arms as she spake it, and away from the earth 

she leapt 
And cut off her tide of returning ; for the sea- waves over her swept, 
And their will is her will henceforward, and who knoweth the deeps 

of the sea, 
And the wealth of the bed of Gudrun, and the days that yet shall 

be?" 

A third and very different version reports that Gudrun was not 
drowned, but was borne along by the waves to the land where 
Jonakur was king. There she became his wife, and the mother 
of three sons, Sorli, Hamdir, and Erp. She also recovered pos- 
session of. her beloved daughter Swanhild, who, in the mean while, 
had grown into a beautiful maiden of marriageable age. 

Swanhild was finally promised to Ermenrich, King of Goth- 
land, who sent his son, Randwer, and one of his subjects, Sibich, 
to escort the bride to his kingdom. Sibich, who 

Swanhild. . , - 

was a traitor, and had planned to compass the 
death of the royal family that he might claim the kingdom, 
accused Randwer of having tried to win his young stepmother's 
affections, and thereby so roused the anger of Ermenrich that he 
ordered his son to be hanged, and Swanhild to be trampled to 
death under the feet of wild horses. But such was the beauty 
'of this daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun that even the wild steeds 
could not be urged to touch her until she had been hidden from 
their view under a great blanket, when they trod her to death 
under their cruel hoofs. 




HOGNI THROWING THE TREASURE INTO THE RHINE.- Julius Schnorr. 
{Opp r 2Co.) 



THE SIGURD SAGA. 261 

Gudrun, hearing of this, called her three sons to her side, and 
provided them with armor and weapons against which nothing but 
stone could prevail. Then, after bidding them depart and avenge 
their murdered sister, she died of grief, and was burned on a great 
pyre. The three youths, Sorli, Hamdir, and Erp, invaded Er- 
menrich's kingdom, but the two eldest, deeming Erp too young 
to assist them, taunted him with his small size, and finally slew 
him. They then attacked Ermenrich, cut off his hands and feet, 
and would have slain him had not a one-eyed stranger suddenly 
appeared and bidden the bystanders throw stones at the young 
invaders. His orders were immediately carried out, and Sorli 
and Hamdir both fell under the shower of stones, which alone 
had power to injure them according to Gudrun's words. 

''Ye have heard of Sigurd aforetime, how the foes of God he slew ; 
How forth from the darksome desert the Gold of the Waters he 

drew ; 
How he wakened Love on the Mountain, and wakened Brynhild 

the Bright, 
And dwelt upon Earth for a season, and shone in all men's sight. 
Ye have heard of the Cloudy People, and the dimming of the day, 
And the latter world's confusion, and Sigurd gone away ; 
Now ye know of the Need of the Niblungs and the end of broken 

troth, 
All the death of kings and of kindreds and the Sorrow of Odin the 

Goth." 

This story of the Volsungs is supposed by some authorities to 
be a series of sun myths, in which Sigi, Rerir, Volsung, Sigmund, 
and Sigurd in turn personify the glowing orb of interpretation 
day. They are all armed with invincible swords, of the Saga, 
the sunbeams, and all travel through the world fighting against 
their foes, the demons of cold and darkness. Sigurd, like Balder, 
is beloved of all ; he marries Brunhild, the dawn maiden, whom 
he finds in the midst of flames, the flush of morn, and parts from 
her only to find her again when his career is ended. His body 
is burned on the funeral pyre, which, like Balder's, represents 



262 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 



either the setting sun or the last gleam of summer, of which he 
too is a type. The slaying of Fafnir is the destruction of the 
demon of cold or darkness, who has stolen the golden hoard of 
summer or the yellow rays of the sun. 

According to other authorities this Saga is based upon history. 
Atli is the cruel Attila, the " Scourge of God," while Gunnar is 
Gundicarius, a Burgundian monarch, whose kingdom was de- 
stroyed by the Huns, and who was slain with his brothers in 451. 
Gudrun is the Burgundian princess Ildico, who slew her husband 
on her wedding night, as has already been related, using the 
glittering blade which had once belonged to the sun-god to 
avenge her murdered kinsmen. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS. 



One of the distinctive features of Northern mythology is that 
the people always believed that their gods belonged to a finite 
race. The JEsir had had a beginning ; therefore, it was reasoned, 
they must have an end ; and as they were born from a mixture of 
the divine and gigantic elements, and were imperfect, they bore 
within them the germ of death, and were, like men, doomed to 
endure physical death to attain spiritual immortality. 

The whole scheme of Northern mythology was therefore a 
drama, every step leading gradually to the climax or tragic end, 
when, with true poetic justice, punishment and The decline of 
reward were impartially meted out. In the fore- the gods * 
going chapters, the gradual rise and decline of the gods has been 
carefully traced. We have recounted how the ^Esir tolerated the 
presence of evil, personated by Loki, in their midst ; how they 
weakly followed his advice, allowed him to involve them in all 
manner of difficulties from which they could be extricated only 
at the price of some of their virtue or peace, and finally permitted 
him to gain such ascendency over them that he dared rob them 
of their dearest possession, purity, or innocence, as personified by 
Balder the good. 

Too late now, the gods realized what an evil spirit had found 
a home among them, and banished Loki to earth, where men, 
following the gods' example, listened to his teachings, and instead 
of cultivating virtue became addicted to crime. 

263 



264 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

"Brothers slay brothers; 
Sisters' children 
Shed each other's blood. 
Hard is the world ; 
Sensual sin grows huge. 
There are sword-ages, ax-ages ; 
Shields are cleft in twain ; 
Storm-ages, murder-ages ; 
Till the world falls dead, 
And men no longer spare 
Or pity one another." 

Norse Mythology (R. B. Anderson). 

Seeing crime rampant, and all good banished from the earth, 
the gods realized that the prophecies uttered long before were 
The Fimbui- about to be fulfilled, and that their downfall, Rag- 
winter, narok, the twilight or dusk of the gods, would soon 
come to pass. Sol and Mani grew pale with horror, and trem- 
blingly drove their chariots along their appointed paths, gazing 
with fear behind them at the pursuing wolves which would shortly 
overtake and devour them ; and as their smiles disappeared the 
earth grew sad and cold, and the terrible Fimbulwinter began. 
Then snow fell from the four points of the compass at once, the 
biting winds swept down from the north, and all the earth was 
covered with a thick layer of ice. 

" Grim Fimbui raged, and o'er the world 
Tempestuous winds and snowstorms hurled; 
The roaring ocean icebergs ground, 
And flung its frozen foam around, 
E'en to the top of mountain height ; 

No warming air 

Nor radiance fair 
Of gentle Summer's soft'ning light, 
Tempered this dreadful glacial night." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

This severe winter lasted during three whole seasons without a 
break, and was followed by three others, equally severe, during 



THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS. 265 

which all cheer departed from the earth, where the crimes of 
men increased with fearful rapidity, and where, in the general 
struggle for life, the last feelings of humanity and compassion 
disappeared. 

In the dim recesses of the Ironwood the giantess Iarnsaxa 
or Angur-boda diligently fed the wolves Hati, Skoll, Managarm, 
and Garm, the progeny of Fenris, with the marrow The wolves 
of murderers' and adulterers' bones ; and such was let loose - 
the prevalence of these vile crimes, that the almost insatiable 
monsters were never stinted in food, and daily gained more 
strength to pursue Sol and Mani, whom they finally overtook 
and devoured, deluging the earth with the blood from their drip- 
ping jaws. 

" In the east she was seated, that aged woman, in Jarnrid, 
And there she nourished the posterity of Fenrir; 
He will be the most formidable of all, he 
Who, under the form of a monster, will swallow up the moon." 

Voluspa (Pfeiffer's tr.). 

As this terrible calamity occurred the whole earth trembled 
and shook, the stars, affrighted, fell from their places, and Loki, 
Fenris, and Garm, renewing their efforts, rent their chains asunder 
and rushed forth to take their revenge. At the same moment 
the dragon Nidhug gnawed through the root of the ash Yggdrasil, 
which quivered to its topmost bough ; the red cock Fialar, 
perched above Valhalla, loudly crowed an alarm, which was im- 
mediately echoed by Gullin-kambi, the rooster in Midgard, and 
by Hel's dark-red bird in Nin-heim. 

" The gold-combed cock 
The gods in Valhal loudly crow'd to arms ; 
The blood-red cock as shrilly summons all 
On earth and down beneath it." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. P>. Anderson). 

Heimdall, seeing these ominous portents and hearing the 
cocks' shrill cry, immediately put the Giallar-horn to his lips and 



266 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

blew the long-expected blast, which was heard throughout the 
whole world. At the first sound of this rallying call ^Esir and Ein- 
Heimdaii gives ner *i ar sprang from their golden couches, armed 

the alarm. themselves for the coming fray, sallied bravely 
out of the great hall, and, mounting their impatient steeds, gal- 
loped over the quivering rainbow bridge to the spacious field of 
Vigrid, where, as Vafthrudnir had predicted so long before, the 
last battle was to take place. 

The terrible Midgard snake Iormungandr, aroused by the gen- 
eral commotion, writhed and twisted in the bottom of the sea, 

The terrors wriggled out of the deep, lashed the waters with 

of the sea. j^g ta j^ anc ^ cra wling upon land, hastened to join 
the fray, in which he was to play a prominent part. 

" Lp_.giant wrath the Serpent tossed 
In ocean depths, till, free from chain, 
He rose upon the foaming main; 
Beneath the lashings of his tail, 
Seas, mountain high, swelled on the land ; 
Then, darting mad the waves acrost, 
Pouring forth bloody froth like hail, 
Spurting with poisoned, venomed breath 
Foul deadly mists o'er all the Earth, 
Thro' thundering surge, he sought the strand." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

One of the great waves, stirred up by Iormungandr's struggles, 
set afloat the fatal ship Nagilfar, constructed entirely out of the 
nails of the dead, many relatives having failed, in the course of 
time, to do their duty and show the respect due to the deceased, 
whose nails should have been pared ere they were laid at rest. 
As soon as this vessel was afloat, Loki boarded it with the fiery 
host from Muspells-heim, and steered it boldly over the stormy 
waters to the place of conflict. 

This was not the only vessel bound for Vigrid, however, for 
out of a thick fog bank towards the north came another ship, 
steered by Hrym, in which were all the frost giants, armed to 



THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS. 267 

the teeth, and eager for a conflict with the ^Esir, whom they had 
always hated. 

Through a crevice Hel, the party-colored goddess of death, 
crept out of her underground home, closely followed by the H el- 
hound Garm, all the malefactors of her cheerless realm, and the 
dragon Nidhug, which flew over the battlefield bearing corpses 
upon his wings. 

Seeing these reinforcements to his party as soon as he landed, 
Loki welcomed them with joy, and placing himself at their head 
led them on to the fight. 

Just then the skies were suddenly rent asunder, and through 
the fiery breach rode Surtr with his flaming sword, followed by 
his sons ; and as they attempted to storm Asgard by riding over 
the bridge Bifrost, the glorious arch sank with a crash beneath 
their horses' tread. 

"Down thro' the fields of air, 
With glittering armor fair, 
In battle order bright, 
They sped while seething flame 
From rapid hoofstrokes came. 
Leading his gleaming band, rode Surtur, 
'Mid the red ranks of raging fire." 

Valhalla (J. C. Jones). 

The gods now knew full well that their end was near, and that 
through weakness and lack of foresight they were laboring under 
great disadvantages ; for Odin had but one eye, Tyr but one 
hand, and Frey nothing but a stag's horn wherewith to defend 
himself, instead of his invincible sword. Nevertheless, the ^sir 
did not show any signs of flinching or despair, but, like true North- 
ern warriors, donned their richest attire, and gaily rode to the 
battlefield, determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible, and 
harboring no thought of surrender. 

While they were mustering their forces, Odin once more rode 
down to the Urdar fountain, where, under the wilting Yggdrasil, 
the Norns sat, with veiled faces, their torn web lying at their feet, 



268 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

obstinately refusing to utter a single word. Once more the father 
of the gods whispered a mysterious communication to Mimir, 
The great tnen ne remounted Sleipnir and went to join the 
battle. waiting host. On Vigrid's broad plain the com- 

batants were now all assembled ; on one side the stern, calm faces 
of the ^Esir, Vanas, and Einheriar, on the other the flashing host 
of Surtr, the grim frost giants, the pale army of Hel — Loki lead- 
ing Garm, Fenris, and Iormungandr, the two latter belching forth 
fire and smoke and exhaling clouds of noxious, deathly vapors, 
which filled all heaven and earth with their poisonous breath. 

" The years roll on, 
The generations pass, the ages grow, 
And bring us nearer to the final day 
When from the south shall march the fiery band 
And cross the bridge of heaven, with Lok for guide, 
And Fenris at his heel with broken chain ; 
While from the east the giant Rymer steers 
His ship, and the great serpent makes to land ; 
And all are marshal'd in one flaming square 
Against the Gods, upon the plains of Heaven." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

At a given signal the opposing hosts close in battle, fighting, 
as did our ancestors of old, hand to hand and face to face. 
Rushing impetuously onward, Odin and the Fenris wolf came 
into contact, while Thor attacked the Midgard snake, and Tyr 
the wolf Garm. Frey closed in with Surtr, Heimdall with Loki, 
whom he had defeated once before, and the remainder of the 
gods and all the Einheriar selected foes worthy of their courage 
and performed unheard-of deeds of valor. But, in spite of their 
constant practice and glittering arms, Valhalla's host was doomed 
to defeat, and Odin, after struggling fiercely with the Fenris wolf, 
saw it suddenly assume colossal proportions, and open its jaws 
so wide that they embraced all the space between heaven and 
earth. Then the monster rushed furiously upon the father of the 
gods and swallowed him whole. 



THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS. 269 

" Fenrir shall with impious tooth 
Slay the sire of rolling years : 
Vithar shall avenge his fall, 
And, struggling with the shaggy wolf, 
Shall cleave his cold and gory jaws." 

Vafthrudni's-mal (W. Taylor's tr.). 



None of the gods could lend Allfather a helping hand at that 
critical moment, for Frey succumbed beneath Surtr's flashing 
sword, Heimdall and Loki fell mutually slain, Tyr and Garm dealt 
and received from each other a mortal wound, and Thor, after 
an indescribable encounter with the Midgard snake, slew him by 
a blow from Miolnir, staggered back nine paces, fell, and was 
drowned in the flood of venom which poured from the dying 

monster's jaws. 

" Odin's son goes 
With the monster to fight ; 
Midgard's Veor in his rage 
Will slay the worm ; 
Nine feet will go 
Fiorgyn's son, 
Bowed by the serpent 
Who feared no foe." 

SjEmund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

Vidar, seeing that his beloved father had succumbed, now 
came rushing from the other end of the plain to avenge his death, 
and planting his large shoe upon Fenris's lower jaw, he seized 
the monster's upper jaw and with one terrible wrench tore him 
asunder. 

The other gods who took part in the fray and all the Einheriar 
having now perished, Surtr suddenly flung his fiery brands all 
over heaven, earth, and the nine kingdoms of Hel. The devouring 
The raging flames rose higher and higher, curled fire- 

round the stalwart stem of the world ash Yggdrasil, consumed the 
golden palaces of the gods, destroyed the vegetation upon earth, 
and made all the waters seethe and boil. 



270 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

" Fire's breath assails 
The all-nourishing tree, 
Towering fire plays 
• Against heaven itself." 

S^emund's Edda (Thorpe's tr.). 

This fire raged most fiercely until everything was consumed, 
when the earth, blackened and scarred, slowly sank down beneath 
the boiling waves of the sea. Ragnarok had indeed come ; the 
world tragedy was over, the divine actors were slain, and chaos 
seemed to have returned to resume all its former sway. But as 
in a pla}r, after the actors are all slain and the curtain has fallen, 
the audience still expects the principal favorites to appear and 
make a bow, so the ancient Northern races fancied that, all evil 
having perished in Surtr's flames, goodness would rise from the 
general ruin, to resume its sway over the earth, and some of the 
gods would return to dwell in heaven forever. 

" All evil 
Dies there an endless death, while goodness riseth 
From that great world-fire, purified at last, 
To a life far higher, better, nobler than the past." 

Viking Tales of the North (R. B. Anderson). 

As our ancestors believed fully in regeneration, they declared 

that after a certain space of time the earth, purged by fire and 

purified by its immersion in the sea, would rise 

Regeneration. ..... . . , . ..... , 

again in all its pristine beauty and be illumined 
by the sun, whose chariot was driven by a daughter of Sol's, born 
before the wolf had devoured her mother. The new orb of day 
was not imperfect, as the first sun had been, for its rays were no 
longer so ardent that a shield had to be placed between it and 
the earth, which soon grew green beneath its beneficent rays, 
and brought forth flowers and fruit in abundance. Two human 
beings, a woman, Lif, and a man, Lifthrasir, now emerged from the 
depths of Hodmimir's (Mimir's) forest. They had taken refuge 
there when Surtr set fire to the world, and had sunk into peace- 



THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS. 271 

ful slumbers, unmindful of the destruction around them, and 
remained, feeding upon the morning dew, until it was safe for 
them to wander out once more and take possession of the re- 
generated earth, which their descendants were to people and 
over which they were to have full sway. 

" We shall see emerge 
From the bright Ocean at our feet an earth 
More fresh, more verdant than the last, with fruits 
Self-springing, and a seed of man preserved, 
Who then shall live in peace, as now in war." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

All the gods who represented the developing forces of Nature 
were slain on the fatal field of Vigrid, but the imperishable 
forces of Nature, typified by Vali and Vidar, returned to the field 
of Ida, where they were met b)r Modi and Magni, Thor's sons, 
the personifications of strength and energy, who saved their 
father's sacred hammer from the general destruction, and car- 
ried it thither with them. 

" Vithar's then and Vali's force 
Heirs the empty realm of gods ; 
Mothi's thew and Magni's might 
Sways the massy mallet's weight, 
Won from Thor, when Thor must fall." 

Vafthrudni's-mal (W. Taylor's tr.). 

Here they were joined by Hoenir, no longer an exile among 
the Vanas, who, as developing forces, had also vanished forever ; 
and out of the dark underworld where he had languished so 
long rose the radiant Balder, accompanied by his brother Hodur, 
with whom he was reconciled, and who was now ready to live 
with him in perfect amity and peace. Gently and pensively these 
gods talked of the past, recalled the memory of their former 
companions, and, searching in the long grass on Idavold, found 
again the golden disks with which the ^Esir had been wont to 
play. 



272 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

"We shall tread once more the well-known plain 
Of Ida, and among the grass shall find 
The golden dice with which we play'd of yore ; 
And that will bring to mind the former life 
And pastime of the Gods, the wise discourse 
Of Odin, the delights of other days." 

Balder Dead (Matthew Arnold). 

Then, looking towards the place where their lordly dwellings 
once stood, the assembled gods became aware of the fact that 
Gimli, the highest heavenly abode, had not been consumed, but 
rose glittering before them, its golden roof outshining the sun ; 
and when they hastened thither they discovered, with unmixed 
joy, that it had become the place of refuge of all the virtuous. 

"In Gimli the lofty 
There shall the hosts 
Of the virtuous dwell, 
And through all ages 
Taste of deep gladness." 

Literature and Romance of Northern Europe (Howitt). 

As the Norsemen who settled in Iceland, and through whom 
the most complete exposition of the Odinic faith has come down 
One too mighty to us m ^ ie Eddas and Sagas, were not definitely 

to name. converted until the eleventh century, — although, 
they had come in contact with Christians during their viking raids, 
nearly six centuries before, — it is very probable that the Northern 
scalds gleaned some idea of the Christian doctrines, and that this 
knowledge influenced them to a certain extent, and colored their 
descriptions of the end of the world and the regeneration of the 
earth. It was perhaps this vague knowledge, also, which induced 
them to add to the Edda a verse, which is generally supposed 
to have been an interpolation, proclaiming that another God, too 
mighty to name, would rule over Gimli, judge all mankind, sep- 
arate the bad from the good, banish the former to the horrors 
of Nastrond, and invite the latter to taste of endless bliss in the 
halls of Gimli the fair. 



THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS. 273 

" Then comes another, 
Yet more mighty. 
But Him dare I not 
Venture to name. 
Few farther may look 
Than to where Odin 
To meet the wolf goes." 

Literature and Romance of Northern Europe (Howitt). 

There were two other heavenly mansions, however, one reserved 
for the dwarfs and the other for the giants ; for as these creatures 
had no free will, and blindly executed the decrees of fate, they 
were not held responsible for any harm they had done, and were 
not punished. 

The dwarfs, ruled by Sindri, were said to occupy a hall in the 
Nida mountains, where they drank the sparkling mead, while the 
giants took their pleasure in the hall Brimer, situated in the region 
Okolnur (not cool), for the power of cold was entirely annihilated, 
and there was no more ice. 

Various mythologists have, of course, attempted to explain 
these myths, and some, as we have already stated, see in the 
story of Ragnarok the influence of Christian teachings and esteem 
it only a barbaric version of the end of the world and the com- 
ing judgment day, when a new T heaven and earth shall arise, and 
all the good shall enjoy eternal bliss. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

GREEK AND NORTHERN MYTHOLOGIES A COMPARISON* 

During the past fifty years the learned men of many nations 

have investigated philology and comparative mythology so thor- 

Comparative oughly that they have ascertained beyond the pos- 

mythoiogy. s ibility of doubt " that English, together with all 
the Teutonic dialects of the Continent, belongs to that large 
family of speech which comprises, besides the Teutonic, Latin, 
Greek, Slavonic, and Celtic, the Oriental languages of India and 
Persia." " It has also been proved that the various tribes who 
started from the central home to discover Europe in the north, 
and India in the south, carried away with them, not only a com- 
mon language, but a common faith and a common mythology. 
These are facts which may be ignored but cannot be disputed, 
and the two sciences of comparative grammar and comparative 
mythology, though but of recent origin, rest on a foundation as 
sound and safe as that of any of the inductive sciences." " For 
more than a thousand years the Scandinavian inhabitants of Nor- 
way have been separated in language from their Teutonic breth- 
ren on the Continent, and yet both have not only preserved the 
same stock of popular stories, but they tell them, in several in- 
stances, in almost the same words." 

This resemblance, so strong in the early literature of nations 
inhabiting countries which present much the same physical aspect 
and have nearly the same climate, is not so marked when we 
compare the Northern myths with those of the genial South. 
Still, notwithstanding the contrast between the boreal and south 

274 



GREEK AND NORTHERN MYTHOLOGIES. 275 

temperate zones, where these myths gradually ripened and at- 
tained their full growth, there is sufficient analogy between the 
two mythologies to show that the seeds from whence both sprang 
were originally the same. 

In the foregoing chapters the Northern system of mythology 
has been outlined as clearly as possible, and the physical signifi- 
cance of the myths has been explained. Now we shall endeavor 
to set forth the resemblance of Northern mythology to that of the 
other Aryan nations, by comparing it with the Greek, which, 
however, it does not resemble as closely as it does the Oriental. 

It is, of course, impossible in a brief work of this character to do 
more than mention the main points of resemblance in the stories 
forming the basis of these religions ; but that will serve to demon- 
strate, even to the most skeptical, that they must have been iden- 
tical at a period too remote to indicate now with any certainty. 

The Northern nations, like the Greeks, imagined that the world 
rose out of chaos ; and while the latter described it as a vapory, 
formless mass, the former, influenced by their im- The be g innin g 
mediate surroundings, depicted it as a chaos of fire of things, 
and ice — a combination which is only too comprehensible to any 
one who has visited. Iceland and seen the wild, peculiar contrast 
between its volcanic soil, spouting geysers, and the great icebergs 
which hedge it all around during the long, dark winter season. 

From these opposing elements, fire and ice, were born the first 
divinities, who, like the first gods of the Greeks, were gigantic in 
stature and uncouth in appearance. Ymir, the huge ice giant, 
and his descendants, are comparable to the Titans, who were also 
elemental forces of Nature, personifications of subterranean fire ; 
and both, having held full sway for a time, were obliged to yield 
to greater perfection. After a fierce struggle for supremacy, they 
all found themselves defeated and banished to the respective re- 
mote regions of Tartarus and Jotun-heim. 

The triad, Odin, Vili, and Ve, of the Northern myth is the 
exact counterpart of Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto, who, superior 
to the Titan forces, rule supreme over the world in their turn. 



270 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

In the Greek mythology, the gods, who are also all related to 
one another, betake themselves to Olympus, where they build 
golden palaces for their use ; and in the Northern mythology the 
divine conquerors repair to Asgard, and there construct similar 
dwellings. 

Northern cosmogony was not unlike the Greek, for the people 

imagined that the earth, Mana-heim, was entirely surrounded by 

the sea, at the bottom of which lay the huge Mid- 

Cosmogony. ,,,..'. 

gard snake, biting its own tail ; and it was perfectly 
natural that, viewing the storm-lashed waves which beat against 
their shores, they should declare they were the result of his con- 
vulsive writhing. The Greeks, who also fancied the earth was 
round and compassed by a mighty river called Oceanus, described 
it as flowing with " a steady, equable current," for they generally 
gazed out upon calm and sunlit seas. Nifl-heim, the Northern 
region of perpetual cold and mist, had its exact counterpart in 
the land north of the Hyperboreans, where feathers (snow) con- 
tinually hovered in the air, and where Hercules drove the Cery- 
nean stag into a snowdrift ere he could seize and bind it fast. 

Like the Greeks, the Northern races believed that the earth was 
created first, and that the vaulted heavens were made afterwards 
The phenomena to overshadow it entirely. They also imagined 

of the sky. faax the sun and moon were daily driven across 
the sky in chariots drawn by fiery steeds. Sol, the sun maiden, 
therefore corresponded to Helios, Hyperion, Phoebus, or Apollo, 
while Mani, the moon (owing to a peculiarity of Northern gram- 
mar, which makes the sun feminine and the moon masculine), 
was the exact counterpart of Phcebe, Diana, or Cynthia. 

The Northern scalds, who thought that they descried the pranc- 
ing forms of white-maned steeds in the flying clouds, and the 
glitter of spears in the flashing light of the aurora borealis, said 
that the Valkyrs, or battle maidens, were galloping across the 
sky, while the Greeks saw in the same natural phenomena the 
white flocks of Apollo guarded by Phaethusa and Lampetia. 

As the dew fell from the clouds, the Northern poets declared 



GREEK AX J) NORTHERN MYTHOLOGIES. 277 

that it dropped from the manes of the Valkyrs' steeds, while the 
Greeks, who generally observed that it sparkled longest in the 
thickets, identified it with Daphne and Procris, whose names are 
derived from the Sanskrit word " to sprinkle," and who are slain 
by their lovers, Apollo and Cephalus, personifications of the sun. 

The earth was considered in the North as well as in the South 
as a female divinity, the fostering mother of all things ; and it 
was owing to climatic difference only that the mythology of the 
North, where people were daily obliged to conquer the right to 
live by a hand-to-hand struggle -with Nature, should represent 
her as hard and frozen like Rinda, while the Greeks embodied 
her in the genial goddess Ceres. The Greeks also believed that 
the cold winter winds swept down from the North, and the North- 
ern races added that they were produced by the winnowing of 
the wings of the great eagle Hrae-svelgr. 

The dwarfs, or dark elves, bred in Ymir's flesh, were like Pluto's 
servants in- that they never left their underground realm, where 
they, too, sought the precious metals, which they molded into 
delicate ornaments such as Vulcan bestowed upon the gods, and 
into weapons which no one could either dint or mar. As for 
the light elves, who lived aboveground and cared for plants, 
trees, and streams, they were evidently the Northern substitutes 
for the nymphs, dryads, oreades, and hamadryads, which peopled 
the woods, valleys, and fountains of ancient Greece. 

Jupiter, like Odin, was the father of the gods, the god of vic- 
tory, and a personification of the universe. Hlidskialf, Allfather's 
lofty throne, was no less exalted than Olympus or j up i t er and 
Ida, whence the Thunderer could observe all that ° din - 

was taking place ; and Odin's invincible spear Gungnir was as 
terror-inspiring as the thunderbolts brandished by his Greek pro- 
totype. The Northern deities feasted continually upon mead 
and boar's flesh, the drink and meat most suitable to the inhabi- 
tants of a Northern climate, while the gods of Olympus preferred 
the nectar and ambrosia which were their only sustenance. 

Twelve ^Esir sat in Odin's council hall to deliberate over the 



278 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

wisest measures for the government of the world and men, and 
an equal number of gods assembled on the cloudy peak of Mount 
Olympus for a similar purpose. The Golden Age in Greece 
was a period of idyllic happiness, amid ever-flowering groves 
and under balmy skies, while the Northern age of bliss was also 
a time when peace and innocence flourished on earth, and when 
evil was as yet entirely unknown. 

Using the materials near at hand, the Greeks modeled their 
first images out of clay ; hence they naturally imagined that 

Creation of Prometheus had made man out of that substance 
man - when called upon to fashion a creature inferior to 

the gods only. As the Northern statues were all hewed out of 
wood, the Northern races inferred, as a matter of course, that 
Odin, Vili, and Ve (who here correspond to Prometheus, Epi- 
metheus, and Minerva, the three Greek creators of man) made 
the first human couple, Ask and Embla, out of blocks of wood. 

The goat Heidrun, which supplied the heavenly mead, is like 
Amalthea, Jupiter's first nurse, and the busy, telltale Ratatosk is 
equivalent to the snow-white crow in the story of Coronis, which 
was turned black in punishment for its tattling. Jupiter's eagle 
has its counterpart in the ravens Hugin and Munin, or in the 
wolves Geri and Freki, which are ever crouching at Odin's feet. 

The close resemblance between the Northern Orlog and the 
Greek Destiny, goddesses whose decrees the gods themselves 

Noms and were obliged to respect, and the equally power- 
Fates. f u j N orns anc [ Mcerae, is too obvious to need 
pointing out, while the Vanas are counterparts of Neptune and 
the other ocean divinities. The great quarrel between the Vanas 
and the ^Esir is merely another version of the dispute between 
Jupiter and Neptune for the supremacy of the world. Just as 
Jupiter forces his brother to yield to his authority, so the ^Esir 
remain masters of all, but do not refuse to continue to share 
their power with their conquered foes, who thus become their 
allies and friends. 

Like Jupiter, Odin is always described as majestic and middle- 



GREEK AND NORTHERN MYTHOLOGIES. 279 

aged, and both gods are regarded as the divine progenitors of 
royal races, for while the Heraclidse claimed Jupiter as their 
father, the Inglings, Skioldings, etc., said Odin was the founder 
of their families. The most solemn oaths were sworn by Odin's 
spear as well as by Jupiter's footstool, and both gods rejoice in a 
multitude of names, all descriptive of the various phases of their 
nature and worship. 

Odin, like Jupiter, frequently visited the earth in disguise, to 
judge of the hospitable intentions of mankind, as in the story of 
Geirrod and Agnar, which resembles that of Philemon and Baucis. 
The aim was to encourage hospitality, therefore, in both stories, 
those who showed themselves humanely inclined are richly re- 
warded, and in the Northern myth the lesson is enforced by the 
punishment inflicted upon Geirrod, as the scalds believed in po- 
etic justice and saw that it was carefully meted out. 

The contest of wit between Odin and Vafthrudnir has its 
parallel in the musical rivalry of Apollo and Marsyas, or in the 
test of skill between Minerva and Arachne. Odin further resem- 
bled Apollo in that he, too, was god of eloquence and poetry, and 
could win all hearts to him by means of his divine voice ; he was 
like Mercury in that he taught mortals the use of runes, while the 
Greek god introduced the alphabet. 

The disappearance of Odin, the sun or summer, and the con- 
sequent desolation of Frigga, the earth, is merely a different 
version of the myths of Proserpine and Adonis. Myths of the 
When Proserpine and Adonis have gone, the earth seasons. 
(Ceres or Venus) bitterly mourns their absence, and refuses all 
consolation. It is only when they return from their exile that 
she casts off her mourning garments and gloom, and again decks 
herself in all her jewels. So Frigga and Freya bewail the absence 
of their husbands Odin and Odur, and remain hard and cold until 
their return. Odin's wife Saga, the goddess of history, who lin- 
gered by Sokvabek, " the stream of time and events," taking note 
of all she saw, is like Clio, the muse of history, whom Apollo 
sought by the inspiring fount of Helicon. 



2 So MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Just as, according to Euhemerus, there was an historical Zeus, 
buried in Crete, where his grave can still be seen, so there was 
an historical Odin, whose mound rises near Upsala, where the 
greatest Northern temple once stood, and where there was a 
mighty oak which rivaled the famous tree of Dodona. 

Frigga, like Juno, was a personification of the atmosphere, the 
patroness of marriage, of connubial and motherly love, and the 

Frigga and goddess of childbirth. She, too, is represented as 
juno. a i3 eau tiful, stately woman, rejoicing in her adorn- 

ments ; and her special attendant, Gna, rivals Iris in the rapidity 
with which she executes her mistress's behests. Juno has full 
control over the clouds, which she can brush away with a motion 
of her hand, and Frigga is supposed to weave them out of the 
thread she has spun on her jeweled spinning wheel. 

In Greek mythology we find many examples of the way in 
which Juno seeks to outwit Jupiter. Similar tales are not lack- 
ing in the Northern myths. Juno obtains possession of Io, in 
spite of her husband's reluctance to part with her, and Frigga 
artfully secures the victory for the Winilers in the Langobardian 
Saga. Odin's wrath at Frigga's theft of the gold from his statue 
is equivalent to Jupiter's marital displeasure at Juno's jealousy 
and interference during the war of Troy. In the story of Gef- 
jon, and the clever way in which she procured land from Gylfi 
to form her kingdom of Seeland, we have a reproduction of the 
story of Dido, who obtained by stratagem the land upon which 
she founded her city of Carthage. In both accounts oxen come 
into play, for while in the Northern myth these sturdy beasts 
draw the piece of land far out to sea, in the other an ox hide, 
cut into strips, serves to inclose the queen's grant. 

The Pied Piper of Hamelin, who could attract all living crea- 
tures by his music, is like Orpheus or Amphion, whose lyres had 
the same power ; and Odin, as leader of the dead, 

Musical myths. . 

is the counterpart of Mercury Psychopompus, both 
being personifications of the wind, on whose wings disembodied 
souls were thought to be wafted away from this mortal sphere. 



GREEK AND NORTHERN MYTHOLOGIES. 281 

The trusty Eckhardt, who would fain save Tannhauser and 
prevent his returning to expose himself to the enchantments of 
the sorceress in the Horselberg, is like the Greek Mentor, who 
not only accompanied Telemachus, but who gave him good 
advice and wise instructions, and would like to have rescued 
Ulysses from the hands of Calypso. 

Thor, the Northern thunder-god, also has many points of 
resemblance with Jupiter. He bears the hammer Miolnir, the 
Northern emblem of the deadly thunderbolt, and, Thor and th 
like Jupiter, uses it freely when warring against Greek gods, 
the giants. In his rapid growth Thor resembles Mercury, for 
while the former playfully tosses several loads of ox hides about 
a few hours after his birth, the latter steals Apollo's oxen before 
he is one day old. In physical strength Thor resembles Hercules, 
who also gave early proofs of uncommon vigor by strangling the 
serpents sent to slay him in his cradle, and who delighted, later 
on, in attacking and conquering giants and monsters. Hercules 
became a woman and took to spinning to please Omphale, the 
Lydian queen, and Thor assumed a woman's apparel to visit 
Thrym and recover his hammer, which had been buried nine 
rasts underground. The hammer, his principal attribute, was 
used for many sacred purposes. It consecrated the funeral pyre 
and the marriage rite, and boundary stakes driven in by a ham- 
mer were considered as sacred among Northern nations as the 
Hermae or statues of Mercury, whose removal was punished by 
death. 

Thor's wife, Sif, with her luxuriant golden hair, is, as we have 
already stated, an emblem of the earth, and her hair of its rich 
vegetation. Loki's theft of these tresses is equivalent to Pluto's 
rape of Proserpine. To recover the golden locks, Loki must 
visit the dwarfs (Pluto's servants), crouching in the low passages 
of the underground world ; so Mercury must seek Proserpine in 
Hades. 

The gadfly which hinders Jupiter from recovering possession 
of Io, after Mercury has slain Argus, reappears in the Northern 



282 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

myth to sting Brock and prevent the manufacture of the magic 
ring Draupnir, which is merely a counterpart of Sif's tresses, as 
it also represents the fruits of the earth. It continues to torment 
the dwarf during the manufacture of Frey's golden-bristled boar, 
a prototype of Apollo's golden sun chariot, and it prevents the 
perfect formation of the handle of Trior's hammer. 

The magic ship Skidbladnir, also made by the dwarfs, is like 
the swift-sailing Argo, which was a personification of the clouds 
sailing overhead ; and just as the former was said to be large 
enough to accommodate all the gods, so the latter bore all the 
Greek heroes off to the distant land of Colchis. 

The Germans, wishing to name the days of the week after 
their gods, as the Romans had done, ga\ T e the name of Thor to 
Jove's day, and thus made it the present Thursday. 

Trior's struggle against Hrungnir is like the fight between Her- 
cules and Cacus or Antaeus ; while Groa is evidently Ceres, for 
she, too, mourns for her absent child Orvandil (Proserpine), and 
breaks out into a song of joy when she hears it will return. 

Magni, Thor's son, who when onlv three hours old exhibits 
his marvelous strength by lifting Hrungnir's leg off his recumbent 
father, also reminds us of the infant Hercules ; and Thor's vora- 
cious appetite at Thrym's wedding feast has its parallel in Mer- 
cury's first meal, which consisted of two whole oxen. 

Thor's crossing the swollen tide of Veimer reminds us of Jason's 
wading across the torrent when on his way to visit the tyrant 
Pelias and recover possession of his father's throne. 

The marvelous necklace worn bv Frigga and Freya to en- 
hance their charms is like the cestus or girdle of Venus, which 
Juno borrowed to subjugate her lord, and is. like Sif's tresses 
and the ring Draupnir, an emblem of luxuriant vegetation or a 
type of the stars which jewel the firmament. 

The Northern sword-god Tyr is, of course, the Roman war- 
god Mars, whom he so closely resembles that his name was given 
to the day of the week held sacred to Mars, which is even now 
known as Tuesday or Tiu's day. Like Mars, Tyr was noisy and 



GREEK AND NORTHERN MYTHOLOGIES. 283 

he delighted in the din of battle and warfare, and 
was quite fearless at all times. He alone dared to brave the 
Fenris wolf; and the Southern proverb concerning Scylla and 
Charybdis has its counterpart in the Northern adage, ''to get 
loose out of Laeding and to dash out of Droma." The Fenris 
wolf, also a personification of subterranean fire, is bound, like his 
prototypes the Titans, in Tartarus. 

The similarity between the gentle, music-loving Bragi, with his 
harp in hand, and Apollo or Orpheus is very great ; so is the 
resemblance between the magic draft Od-hroerir and the waters 
of Helicon, which were also supposed to serve as inspiration to 
mortal as well as to immortal poets. Odin dons eagle plumes to 
bear away this precious mead, and Jupiter assumes a similar guise 
to secure his cupbearer Ganymede. 

Idun, like Adonis and Proserpine, or still more like Eurydice, 
is also a fair personification of spring. She is borne away by 
the cruel ice giant Thiassi, who represents the boar which slew 
Adonis, the kidnapper of Proserpine, or the poisonous serpent 
which bit Eurydice. Idun is detained for a long, long time in 
Jotun-heim (Hades), where she forgets all her merry, playful 
ways, and becomes mournful and pale. She cannot return alone 
to Asgard, and it is only when Loki (now an emblem of the 
south wind) comes to bear her away in the shape of a nut or a 
swallow that she can effect her escape. She reminds us of Pro- 
serpine and Adonis escorted back to earth by Mercury (god of 
the wind), or of Eurydice lured out of Hades by the sweet 
sounds of Orpheus's harp, which were also symbolical of the 
soughing of the winds. 

The myth of I dun's fall from Yggdrasil into the darkest depths 
of Nifl-heim, while subject to the same explanation and compari- 
son as the above story, is still more closely related Idun and 
to the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, for the for- Eurydice. 
mer, like Bragi, cannot exist without the latter, whom he follows 
even into the dark realm of death ; without her his songs are 
entirely silenced. The wolfskin in which Idun is enveloped is 



284 - MYTHS OF XORTHERX LAXDS. 

typical of the heavy snows in Northern regions, which are con- 
sidered a great blessing, as they preserve the tender roots from the 
blighting influence of the extreme winter cold. 

The Van Niord, who is god of the sunny summer seas, has 
his counterpart in Xeptune and more especially in Nereus, the 

Skadi and personification of the calm and pleasant aspect 
Diana. f t j ie m igh t y deep. Niord's wife, Skadi, is the 

Northern huntress ; she therefore resembles Diana. Like her, 
she bears a quiver full of arrows, and a bow which she handles 
with consummate skill. Her short gown permits the utmost free- 
dom of motion, also, and she, too, is generally accompanied by 
a hunting hound. 

The myths of the transference of Thiassfs eyes to the firma- 
ment, where they glow like brilliant stars, remind us of many 
Greek star myths, and especially of Argus's eyes ever on the 
watch, of Orion and his jeweled girdle, and of his dog Sirius, all 
changed into stars by the gods to appease angry goddesses. Loki's 
antics to win a smile from the irate Skadi are considered akin to 
the quivering flashes of sheet lightning which he personified in 
the North, while Steropes, the Cyclops, typified it for the Greeks. 

The Northern god of sunshine and summer showers, the genial 
Frey, has many traits in common with Apollo, for, like him, he is 
beautiful and young, rides the golden-bristled boar which was the 
Northern conception of the sunbeams, or drives across the sky in 
a golden car, which reminds us of Apollo's glittering chariot. 

Frey has some of the gentle Zephyrus's characteristics besides, 
for he, too, scatters flowers along his way. His horse Blodug- 
hofi is not unlike Pegasus, Apollo's favorite steed, for it can pass 
through fire and water with equal ease and velocity. 

Fro, like Odin and Jupiter, is also identified with a human 
king, and his mound lies beside Odin's near Upsala. His reign 
was so happy that it was called the Golden Age, and he therefore 
reminds us of Saturn, who, exiled to earth, ruled over the people 
of Italy, and granted them similar prosperity. 

Gercla. the beautiful maiden, is like Venus, and also like Ata- 



GREEK AND NORTHERN MYTHOLOGIES. 285 

lanta ; she is hard to woo and hard to win, like the fleet-footed 
maiden, but, like her, she yields at last and becomes a happy- 
wife. The golden apples with which Skirnir tries to bribe her 
remind us of the golden fruit which Hippomenes cast in Atalan- 
ta's way, and which made her lose the race. 
^ Freya, the goddess of youth, love, and beauty, like Venus, 
sprang from the sea, for she is a daughter of the sea-god Niord. 
Venus shows that she is not entirely devoid of martial tastes by 
bestowing her best affections upon Mars and Anchises, while' 
Freya often assumes the garb of a Valkyr, and rides rapidly 
down to earth to take her part in mortal strife and bear away 
one half of the heroes slain to feast in her halls. Like Venus, 
she delights in offerings of fruits and flowers, lends a gracious 
ear to the petitions of lovers, and favors them as much as she 
can. Freya also resembles Minerva, for, like her, she wears a 
helmet and breastplate, and, like her, also, she is noted for her 
beautiful blue eyes. 

Odur, Freya's husband, is like Adonis, and when he leaves 
her, she, too, sheds countless tears, which, in her case, are turned 
to gold, while Venus's tears are changed into 0dur and 
anemones, and those of the Heliades, mourning Adonis. 
for Phaeton, harden to amber, which resembles gold in color and 
in consistency. Just as Venus rejoices at Adonis's return, and 
all Nature blooms in sympathy with her joy, so Freya becomes 
lighthearted once more when she has found her husband lover 
beneath the flowering myrtles of the South. Venus's car is drawn 
by fluttering doves, while Freya's is swiftly carried along by cats, 
which are emblems of sensual love, just as the doves were con- 
sidered types of tenderest love. Freya is so sensitive to beauty 
that she angrily refuses to marry Thrym, and Venus scorns and 
finally deserts Vulcan, whom she has been forced to marry much 
against her will. 

The Greeks represented Justice as a blindfolded goddess, with 
scales in one hand and a sword in the other, to indicate the im- 
partiality and the fixity of her decrees. The corresponding deity 



2 86 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

of the North was Forseti, who patiently listened to both sides of 
a question ere he, too, promulgated his impartial and irrevocable 
sentence. 

Uller, the winter-god, resembles Apollo and Orion only in his 
love for the chase, which he pursues with ardor under all circum- 
stances. He is the Northern bowman, and his skill is quite as 
unerring as theirs. 

Heimdall, like Argus, was gifted with marvelous keenness of 
sight, which enabled him to perceive even the growth of the grass. 
His Giallar-horn, which could be heard throughout all the world, 
proclaiming the gods' passage to and fro over the quivering bridge 
Bifrost, was like the trumpet of the goddess Renown. As he was 
related to the water deities on his mother's side, he could, like 
Proteus, assume any form at will, and made good use of this power 
on one occasion to frustrate Loki's attempt to steal the necklace 
Brisinga-men. 

Hermod, the quick or nimble, resembles Mercury not only in 
his marvelous celerity of motion, but he, too, was the messenger 
of the gods, and, like the Greek divinity, he flashed hither and 
thither, aided not by winged cap and sandals, but by Odin's steed 
Sleipnir, whom he alone was allowed to bestride. Instead of the 
Caduceus, he bore the wand Gambantein. He questioned the 
Norns and the magician Rossthiof, through whom he learned 
that Vali would come to avenge his brother Balder and to sup- 
plant his father Odin. Instances of similar consultations are 
found in Greek mythology, where Jupiter would fain have mar- 
ried Thetis, yet desisted when the Fates foretold that she would 
be the mother of a son destined to surpass his father in glory 
and renown. 

The Northern god of silence, Vidar, has some resemblance to 
Hercules, for while the latter has nothing but a club with which 
to defend himself against the Nemean lion, whom he tears asun- 
der, the former, protected by one large shoe, rends the Fenris 
wolf at Ragnarok. 

Odin's courtship of Rinda reminds us of Jupiter's wooing of 



GREEK AND NORTHERN MYTHOLOGIES. 287 

Danae, who is also a symbol of the earth ; and while the shower 
of gold in the Greek tale is intended to represent the fertilizing 
sunbeams, the footbath in the Northern story typi- Ri nda and 
nes the spring thaw which sets in when the sun Danae. 

has overcome the resistance of the frozen earth. Perseus, th 
child of this union, has many points of resemblance with Vali, 
for he, too, is an avenger, and slays his mother's enemies just as 
surely as Vali destroys Hodur, the murderer of Balder. 

The Fates were supposed to preside over birth in Greece, and 
to foretell a child's future just as well as the Norns ; and the story 
of Meleager has its unmistakable parallel in that of Nornagesta. 
Althsea preserves the half-consumed brand in a chest, Nornagesta 
conceals the candle end in his harp ; and while the Greek mother 
brings about her son's death by casting the brand into the fire, 
Nornagesta, compelled to light his candle end at Olaf's com- 
mand, dies as it sputters and goes out. 

Hebe and the Valkyrs were the cupbearers of Olympus and 
Asgard. They were all personifications of youth ; and while Hebe 
married the great hero and demigod Hercules when she retired 
from ofiice, the Valkyrs were relieved from further attendance 
when united to heroes like Helgi, Hakon, Volund, or Sigurd. 

The Cretan labyrinth has its counterpart in the Icelandic 
Volundarhaus, and Volund and Daedalus both effect their escape 
from a maze by a cleverly devised pair of wings, which enables 
them to fly in safety over land and sea and escape from the tyr- 
anny of their respective masters, Nidud and Minos. Volund re- 
sembles Vulcan, also, in that he is a clever smith and makes use 
of his talents to work out his revenge. Vulcan, lamed by a fall 
from Olympus, and neglected by Juno, whom he had tried to 
befriend, sends her a golden throne, which is provided with cun- 
ning springs to seize and hold her fast. Volund, hamstrung by 
the suggestion of Nidud's queen, secretly murders her sons, and * 
out of their eyes fashions marvelous jewels, which she unsuspect- 
ingly wears upon her breast until he reveals their origin. 

Just as the Greeks fancied that the tempests were the effect of 



2 88 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

Neptune's wrath, so the Northern races attributed them either to 
the writhings of Idrmungandr, the Midgard snake, or to the anger 
Myths of the °^ ^§i r ' wno > crowned with seaweed like Nep- 
sea. tune, often sent his children, the wave maidens 

(the counterpart of the Nereides and Oceanides), out to play in 
the tossing billows. Neptune had his dwelling in the coral caves 
near the Island of Eubcea, while ^Egir lived in a similar palace 
near Cattegat. Here he was surrounded by the nixies, undines, 
and mermaids, the counterpart of the Greek water nymphs, and 
by the river-gods of the Rhine, Elbe, and Neckar, who remind 
us of Alpheus and Peneus, the river-gods of the Greeks. 

The frequency of shipwrecks on the Northern coasts made the 
people describe Ran (the equivalent of the Greek sea-goddess 
Amphitrite) as greedy and avaricious, and armed with a strong 
net, with which she drew all things down into the deep. The 
Greek Sirens had their parallel in the Northern Lorelei, who pos- 
sessed the same gift of song, and also lured mariners to their 
death ; while Princess Use, who was turned into a fountain, re- 
minds us of the nymph. Arethusa, who underwent a similar trans- 
formation. 

In the Northern conception of Nifl-heim we have an almost 
exact counterpart of the Greek Hades. Modgud, the guardian 
of the Giallar-bru (the bridge of death), over which all the spirits 
of the dead must pass, exacts a tribute of blood as rigorously 
as Charon demands an obolus from every soul he ferries over 
Acheron, the river of death. The fierce dog Garm, cowering in 
the Gnipa hole, and keeping guard at Hel's gate, is like the three- 
headed monster Cerberus ; and the nine worlds of Nifl-heim are 
not unlike the divisions of Hades, Nastrond being an adequate 
substitute for Tartarus, where the wicked were punished with 
equal severity. 

The custom of burning dead heroes with their arms, and of 
slaying victims, such as horses and dogs, upon their pyre, was 
much the same in the North as in the South ; and while Mors or 
Thanatos, the Greek Death, was represented with a sharp scythe, 



GREEK AND NORTHERN MYTHOLOGIES. 289 

Hel was depicted with a broom or rake, which she used as ruth- 
lessly, and with which she did as much execution. 

Balder, the radiant god of sunshine, reminds us not only of 
Apollo and Orpheus, but of all the other heroes of sun myths. 
His wife Nanna is like Flora, and still more like Balder and 
Proserpine, for she, too, goes down into the under- Apollo, 

world, where she tarries for a while. Balder's golden hall of 
Breidablik is like Apollo's palace in the east ; he, too, delights 
in flowers ; all things smile at his approach, and willingly take an 
oath of allegiance to him. Just as Achilles is vulnerable only in 
the heel, Balder can be slain only by the harmless mistletoe, and 
his death is occasioned by Loki's jealousy just as truly as Hercules 
was slain by Dejanira's. Balder's funeral pyre on Ringhorn 
reminds us of Hercules's death on Mount (Eta, the flames and 
reddish glow of both fires serving to typify the setting sun. The 
Northern god of sun and summer could only be released from 
Nifl-heim if all animate and inanimate objects shed tears ; so 
Proserpine could issue from Hades only upon condition that she 
had partaken of no food. The trifling refusal of Thok to shed a 
single tear is like the pomegranate seeds which Proserpine ate, 
and the result is equally disastrous in both cases, as it detains 
Balder and Proserpine underground, and the earth (Frigga or 
Ceres) must continue to mourn their absence. 

Through Loki evil entered into the Northern world ; Pro- 
metheus's gift of fire brought the same curse down upon the 
Greeks. The punishment inflicted by the gods upon both cul- 
prits is not unlike, for while Loki is bound with adamantine chains 
underground, and tortured by the continuous dropping of venom 
from the fangs of a snake fastened above his head, Prometheus 
is bound to Caucasus by adamantine fetters also, and a ravenous 
vulture continually preys upon his liver. Loki's punishment has 
another counterpart in that of Tityus, bound in Hades, and in 
that of Enceladus, chained beneath Mount ^Etna, where his writh- 
ing produced earthquakes, and his imprecations were the sudden 
eruptions of the volcano. Loki further resembles Neptune in that 



290 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

he, too, assumed an equine form and was the parent of a wonder- 
ful steed, for Sleipnir rivals Arion both in speed and endurance. 

The Fimbulwinter has been compared to the long preliminary 
fight under the walls of Troy, and Ragnarok, the grand closing 
drama of Northern mythology, to the burning of that famous city. 
"Thor is Hector; the Fenris wolf, Pyrrhus, son of Achilles, who 
slew Priam (Odin) ; and Vidar, who survives in Ragnarok, is 
^Eneas." The destruction of Priam's palace is the type of the 
ruin of the gods' golden halls ; and the devouring wolves Hati, 
Skoll, and Managarm, the fiends of darkness, are prototypes of 
Paris and all the other demons of darkness, who bear away or 
devour the sun maiden Helen. 

According to another interpretation, however, Ragnarok and 

the consequent submersion of the world is only a Northern ver- 

Ragnarokand s ^ on °^ ^ ie Deluge. The survivors, Lif and Lif- 

tbe Deluge. thrasir, are like Deucalion and Pyrrha, who were 
destined to repeople the world ; and just as the shrine of Delphi 
alone resisted the destructive power of the great cataclysm, so 
Gimli stood radiant to receive the surviving gods. 

We have already seen how closely the Northern giants resem- 
bled the Titans ; now it only remains to mention that while the 
Greeks imagined that Atlas was changed into a mountain, so the 
giants in Germany formed the Riesengebirge, and that the ava- 
lanches were the burdens of snow which they impatiently shook 
off in changing their cramped positions. The apparition of one 
of the water giants, in the shape of a bull, in order to court the 
queen of the Francs, has its parallel in the story of Jupiter's woo- 
ing of Europa, and Meroveus is evidently the exact counterpart 
of Sarpedon. A faint resemblance can be traced between the 
giant ship Mannigfual and the Argo, for while the one is supposed 
to have cruised all round the JEgean and Euxine Seas, and to 
have made many places memorable by the dangers it encountered 
there, so the Northern vessel sailed about the North and Baltic 
Seas, and is mentioned in connection with the Island of Born- 
holm and the cliffs of Dover. 



GREEK AND NORTHERN MYTHOLOGIES. 291 

While the Greeks imagined that the Nightmares were the evil 
dreams which escaped from the cave of Somnus, the Northern 
race fancied they were female dwarfs or trolls, who crept out of 
the dark recesses of the earth to torment them. All magic weap- 
ons in the North were the work of the dwarfs, the underground 
smiths, while those of the Greeks were manufactured by Vulcan 
and the Cyclops, under Mount ^Etna, or on the Island of Lemnos. 

In the Sigurd myth we find Odin one-eyed like the Cyclops, 
who are also personifications of the sun. Sigurd is instructed by 
Gripir, the horse trainer, who, like Chiron, the centaur, is not 
only able to teach a young hero all he need know, and to give 
him good advice concerning his future conduct, but is also pos- 
sessor of the gift of prophecy. 

The marvelous sword which becomes the property of Sigmund 
and of Sigurd as soon as they prove themselves worthy to wield 
it reminds us of the weapon which 7-Egeus concealed beneath the 
rock, and which Theseus secured as soon as he had become a 
man. Sigurd, like Theseus, Perseus, and Jason, seeks to avenge 
his father's wrongs ere he sets out in search of the golden hoard, 
the exact counterpart of the golden fleece, which is also guarded 
by a dragon, and is very hard to secure. Like all the Greek sun- 
gods and heroes, Sigurd has golden hair and bright blue eyes. 
His struggle with Fafnir reminds us of Apollo's fight with Py- 
thon, while the ring Andvaranaut can be likened to Venus's ces- 
tus, and the curse attached to its possessor is like the doom which 
accompanied Helen and caused endless bloodshed wherever she 
went. 

Sigurd could never have conquered Fafnir without the magic 
sword, just as the Greeks could never have taken Troy without 
the arrows of Philoctetes, which are also emblems of the all-con- 
quering rays of the sun. The recovery of the stolen treasure is 
like Menelaus's recovery of Helen, and it apparently brings as 
little happiness to Sigurd as his recreant wife did to the Spartan 
king. 

Brunhild resembles Minerva in martial tastes, in physical ap- 



292 MYTHS OF NORTHERN LANDS. 

pearance, and in knowledge ; but when Sigurd deserts her in 
favor of Gudrun, she becomes angry and resentful like (Enone, 
when Paris left her to woo Helen. Brunhild's anger continues 
to accompany Sigurd through life, and she even seeks to com- 
pass his death, while (Enone, feeling she can cure her wounded 
lover, refuses to do so and permits him to die. (Enone and Brun- 
hild are both overcome by the same remorseful feelings when 
their lovers have breathed their last, and both insist upon sharing 
their funeral pyres, and end their lives lying by the side of those 
whom they had loved. 

Containing, as it does, a whole series of sun myths, the Vol- 
sunga Saga repeats itself in every phase ; and just as Ariadne, for- 
saken by the sun hero Theseus, finally marries Bacchus, so Gud- 
run, when Sigurd has departed, marries Atli, the King of the 
Huns. He, too, ends his life amid the nickering flames of his 
burning palace or ship. Gunnar, like Orpheus or Amphion, plays 
such marvelous strains upon his harp that even the serpents are 
lulled to sleep. According to some interpretations, Atli is like 
Fafnir, and covets the possession of the gold. Both are there- 
fore probably personifications " of the winter cloud which broods 
over and keeps from mortals the gold of the sun's light and heat, 
till in the spring the bright orb overcomes the powers of darkness 
and tempests, and scatters his gold over the face of the earth." 

Swanhild, Sigurd's daughter, is another personification of the 
sun, as is shown by her blue eyes and golden hair ; and her death 
under the hoofs of black steeds represents the blotting out of the 
sun by the clouds of storm or of darkness. 

Just as Castor and Pollux hasten off to rescue their sister Helen 
when she has been borne away by Theseus, so Swanhild's 
brothers, Erp, Hamdir, and Sorli, hasten off to avenge her death. 

Such are the main points of resemblance between the mytholo- 
gies of the North and South, and the analogy serves to prove 
that they were originally formed from the same materials, and 
that the difference consists principally in the local coloring un- 
consciously given by each nation. 



INDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS. 



Aager and Else, Ballad of, 170. 

Anderson, Rasmus B. (translations 
from the Elder Edda in Norse My- 
thology, S. C. Griggs & Co., Chi- 
cago), 13, 24, 27, 43, 53, 78, 80, 
81, 88, no, in, 118, 124, 139, 
147, 149, 264, 266, 269. 

Anster (translation from Goethe), 130. 

Arnold, Matthew, 12, 14, 15, 21, 23, 
28, 29, 46, 47, 64, 68, 84, 107, 126, 
144, 160, 167, 182, 188, 189, 192, 
193, 194, 196, 267, 268, 271. 

Baldwin, James, Story of Siegfried 
(Charles Scribner's Sons, New 
York), 172. 

Brace (translation of ballad), 212. 

Brand, 120. 

Browning, Robert, ^^, 34. 

Coneybeare (translation from the 
Anglo-Saxon), 165. 

Du Chaillu, Paul, Viking Age 
(Charles Scribner's Sons, New 
York), 142, 143. 

Edda (Saemund's, or the Elder), n, 
12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 24, 25, 

27, 29, 37, 38, 39, 4i, 42, 43, 45, 
62, 65, 71, 75, 80, 81, 85, 88, 91, 
96, 97, 98, 102, 104, 105, 107, 108, 
no, in, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 
118, 122, 123, 124, 129, 131, 134, 

137, 138, 139, 14-h H2, 143, 144, 
146, 147, 149, 151, 154, 157, 162, 
163, 164, 168, 174, 175, 177, 183, 
184, 185, 195, 198, 200, 204, 205, 
206, 207, 236, 242, 244, 246, 254, 
262, 266, 267, 269, 271, 272. 

Edda, The Younger, 53, 77, 78, 79. 

Forman (translations), 37, 40, 57, 100. 



Goethe, 130. 

Gray, 184, 185, 186. 

Grotta-Savngr, 122, 123. 

Heine, 180, 216. 

Hemans, 30, 161. 

Henderson (translations), n, 154, 
162. 

Herbert (translations), 77, 79, 1 14, 
115, 116, 138. 

Herrick, 121. 

Hewitt (translation), 162. 

Homer, 36. 

Howitt, 36, 65, 195, 222, 272. 

Jones, Julia Clinton, Valhalla (Bosqui 
& Co., San Francisco), n, 16, 53, 
62, 86, 89, 90, 91, 101, 102, 103, 
152, 156, 166, 167, 168, 171, 178, 
182, 195, 203, 205, 208, 264. 

Keightley (translation), 179. 

Kingsley, Charles, 50, 127. 

L. E. R., 178. 

La Motte-Fouque, 218. 

Longfellow, Saga of King Olaf, in 
Tales of a Wayside Inn (Houghton, 
Mifflin & Co., Boston), 45, 63, 82. 

Macdowall, Asgard and the Gods, 51. 

Martin (translation from Heine), 216. 

Mathisson, 179. 

Meredith, Owen, 56, 57, 145. 

Morris, William, 19, 24, 61, 113, 
128, 156, 166, 178, 226, 227, 228, 
229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 237, 
238, 239, 241, 242, 243, 245, 246, 
247, 248, 249/250, 252, 255, 256, 
258, 259, 260, 261. 

Naogeorgus, 119. 

Oehlenschlagei-,36,66,67,68,138, 176. 

Oxford Carol, 119. 



293 



294 



1XDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS. 



Percy (translation from the Edda), 62. 

Pfeiffer (translation), 265. 

Pigott (translations from Oehlen- 

schlager), 66, 67, 68, 138, 176. 
Scott, 32, 221. 
Selcher (translation), 180. 
Shakespeare, 85, 158, 223. 
Southey, 35. 
Spenser, 219. 
Stagnelius, 179. 
Stephens (translations from Frid- 

thiof's Saga in Viking Tales of the 

North, Rasmus B. Anderson, S. C. 

Griggs & Co., Chicago), 20, 28, 44, 

52, 72, 73, 98, 106, 113, 128, 135, 

173, 195, 197; 265, 270. 
Taylor (translations from the Sagas), 

15, 17, 18, 27, 37, 38, 92, 271. 



Tegner, Fridthiof's Saga, 20, 28, 44, 
52, 72, 73, 98, 106, 113, 128, 135, 
I73> 195. 197, 265, 270. 

Thomson, 27, 168. 

Thorpe (translations from Ssemund's 
Edda), 12, 13, 16, 21, 25, 29, 31, 
39, 41, 42, 45, 71, 75, 80, 81, 85, 
91, 96, 97, 98, 102, 104, 105, 107, 
108, 112, 113, 116, 129, 131, 134, 

I37> 138, i39> Hi, 144, 146, 151, 
157, 163, 164, 168, 169, 174, 175, 
177, 183, 184, 185, 198, 200, 204, 
205, 206, 207, 236, 242, 244, 246, 
254, 267, 269. 

Vail, 29. 

Wagner, 37, 40, 57, 100. 

Wagner, Asgard and the Gods, 51. 

Wordsworth, 30. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Aager (a'ger) and Else. Ballad of, 

Abel. Cain in Wild Hunt because 
of the murder of, 32. 

Abundantia (a-bun-dan'shya). Same 
as Fulla, 51. 

Abundia. Same as Fulla, 51. 

Acheron (ak'e-ron). Gioll, the 
Northern, 288. 

Achilles (a-kil'ez). Balder, the 
Northern, 289 ; father of Pyrrhus, 
290. 

Adonis (a-do'nis). Odin, the North- 
/ ern, 279 ; Idun lost like, 283 ; Odur, 
i-— -"the Northern, 285. 
/ ^Egean (e-je'an). Argo's cruise 
round the, 290. 

^Egeus (e-je'us). Sigmund's sword 
compared to that of, 291. 

^Egir (a'jir). Tempests caused by, 
107; god of the sea, 171-181; ban- 
quet in halls of, 204 ; Neptune, the 
Greek, 288. 

tEgis (e'jis). Fafnir's Helmet of 
Dread so called, 240. 

/Eneas (e-ne'as). Vidar, the North- 
ern, 290. 

JESIR (a/sir). Northern gods called, 
13 ; twelve in number, 18 ; As gar d, 
home of, 21 ; dispute between Vanas 
and, 21; to be supplanted, 38; in- 
habitants of Asia Minor, 43, 93, 
107; Gylfi visits the, 44; Hrungnir 
feasts with the, 73 ; Freya visited 
by the, 77 ; recovery of hammer 
pleases the, 79 ; Fenris bound by 
the, 91 ; Suttung slain by the, 97; 
Idun welcomed by the, 104 ; Niord 



among the, 108 ; yEgir not ranked 
with the, 171 ; ^Egir visits the, 174 ; 
reward promised to the, 189; her- 
alds sent out by the, 194; Loki 
slanders the, 198, 205 ; battle be- 
tween the giants and the, 210; be- 
ginning and end of the, 263 ; Giallar- 
horn summons the, 265 ; giants 
come to fight the, 266 ; courage and 
death of the, 267; golden disks of 
the, 271 ; Greek gods compared to 
the, 277; Greek equivalent of dis- 
pute between the Vanas and the, 
278. 

^Etna (et'na), Mount. Northern 
equivalent for earthquakes in, 289 ; 
dwarfs' forge equivalent to Vulcan's 
in, 291. 

Afi (a'fe). Riger visits, 142. 

Afternoon. Division of day, 17. 

Agnar. Son of Hrauding, fostered 
by Frigga, 39, 40 ; gives Odin a 
drink, 41 ; becomes king, 42 ; Greek 
equivalent, 279. 

Al (a'e). Riger visits, 141. 

Aku-Thor (ak'u-thor). The char- 
ioteer, 64. 

Alberich (al'ber-ikh). King of the 
dwarfs, 218. 

Albion (al'bi-on). Conjectured ori- 
gin of name, 221. 

Alf-blot. Sacrifices offered to elves, 
223. 

Alf-heim (alf'him). Home of elves 
in, 18, 221; Frey, ruler of, 112; 
Frey's return to, 114; Skirnir's 
return to, 116; Volund goes to 
dwell in, 165. 



295 



296 



GLOSSARY AXD IXDEX. 



All Same as Vali, 152. 

Allfather. The uncreated is, 10; 
Yggdrasil created by, 19; Odin 
called, 23 ; questions Yafthrudnir, 
38 ; wrath of, 48 ; Longbeards 
named by, 50 ; disposes of Hel, 
Midgard snake, and Fenris, 89 ; 
sends Hermod to Finland, 145 ; 
goes with Vidar, to consult Norns, 
148 ; dooms Brunhild to marry, 
248 ; is slain, 268. 

Alpheus (al-fe'us). Greek equiva- 
lent of Northern river-god, 288. 

Alpine Rose. Attendants of Holda 
crowned with the, 55. 

Alps. Uller's home on the, 132 ; sup- 
posed meaning of the name, 221. 

Alsvider (al'svid-er). Steed of 
moon chariot, 14. 

Alsvin (al'svin). Steed of sun 
chariot, 14. 

Althea (al-the'a). Like mother of 
Nornagesta, 287. 

Alva. Cheru's sword borne by Duke 
of, 88. 

Alvis. A dwarf, changed to stone, 
64, 65. 

Alvit. A Valkyr, marries mortal, 163. 

Am althea (am-al-the'a). Compared 
to Heidrun, 278. 

Ambrosia. Northern gods eat boar's 
flesh instead of, 277. 

America. Norsemen real discover- 
ers of, 224. 

Amma. Riger visits, 142. 

AMPHION (am-fi'on). Pied Piper's 
music compared to that of, 280. 

Amphitrite (am-n-tri'te). Greek 
equivalent for Ran, 288. 

AMSVARTNIR (am-svart'nir). Lake 
where Fenris is bound, 91. 

ANCHISES (an-ki'sez). Northern 
equivalent of, 285. 

Andhrimnir (an-dhrim'nir). Cook 
in Valhalla, 27. 

ANDVARANAUT (and-va'ra-nout). 

Ring of Andvari, 243 ; Sigurd ap- 
propriates, 246 ; Brunhild betrothed 
with, 248 ; Sigurd deprives Brun- 
hild of, 252; Gudrun shows, 253; 
Gudrun sends Gunnar, 257; Greek 
equivalent, 291. 



f Andvari (and'va-re). King of 
dwarfs, 218; Loki visits, 242; ring 
of, 243, 246, 248, 252, 257, 291. 

Angantyr (an-gan'ter). Ottar'and, 
12S, 129; Tyrfing, sword of, 
219. 

Anglo-Saxon. Heptarchy, 44; Uller 
called Vulder in, 132 ; /Egir called 
Eagor in, 173. 

Angur-boda (an-gur-bo'da). Moth- 
er of Hel, Fenris, and Iormun- 
gandr, 89, 166; mother of Gerda, 
114; wife of Loki, 209; feeds 
wolves in Iron wood, 265. 

Annar. Husband of Nott, 15. 

Antaeus (an-te'us). Greek equiva- 
lent for Hrungnir, 282. 

Apollo (a-pol'6). Greek equivalent 
for Sol, 276; personification of the 
sun, 277; his contest with Marsyas 
compared to Odin's with Vafthrud- 
nir, 279; marriage with Clio com- 
pared to Odin's with Saga, 279; 
flocks stolen by Mercury, 281 ; 
chariot compared to Frey's boar, 
282 ; god of music, like Bragi, 283 ; 
Frey compared to, 284 ; Uller, a 
hunter like, 285 ; sun-god, like Bal- 
der, 289 ; sun myth, like that of 
Sigurd, 291. 

Apples. Gna's, 51, 226; Idun's, 
100, 102, 104; Skirnir gives Gerda 
golden, 115; emblem of fruitful- 
ness, 117; Norns watch over the 
magic, 154; Idun only can pick 
magic, 155; Rerir receives a magic, 
226 ; new rulers of Asgard eat, 
271 ; comparison between Atalan- 
ta's and Gerda's, 285. 

Arachne (a-rak'ne). Vafthrudnir, 
Northern equivalent, 279. 

Archangel St. Michael. Wields 
Cheru's sword, 88. 

Arctic Circle. Scenery in the, 9. 

Arethusa (ar-e-thu'sa). Princess 
Use equivalent to, 288. 

Argo. Like Skidbladnir, 282 ; like 
Mannigfual, 290. 

Argus. Story compared to that of 
Brock, 281 ; eyes compared to 
Thiassi's, 284 ; eyes compared to 
Heimdall's, 286. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



297 



Ariadne (ar-i-ad'ne). Compared to 

Brunhild, 292. 
Arion (a-rl'on). Compared to Sleip- 

nir, 290. 
Arthur. In Wild Hunt, 31, 32. 
Arwakr (ar'wak-r). Steed of sun 

chariot, 14. 
Aryans (ar'yanz). Origin of, 9; 

myths of, 275. 
Asa (a'sa). Hoenir an, 22 ; Odin, the 

almighty, 1 18; Balder an, 182. 
Asa-bridge. Heimdall, guardian of 

the, 143. 
Asabru (a'sa-bru). Bridge of gods, 

20. 
Asegeir (a'se-glr). Frisian elders, 

135- 

Asgard (as'gard). Home of gods, 
18; one root of Yggdrasil in, 19; 
gods' palaces in, 21 ; Niord wel- 
comed in, 22 ; Odin's seat in, 23 ; 
heroes brought to, 26 ; Ifing sepa- 
rates Jotun-heim from, 38 ; Odin 
leaves, 42, 48 ; Odin returns to, 
44; Gylfi visits, 44; Thor ad- 
mitted into, 61 ; Bilskirnir in, 61 ; 
Brock visits, 68 ; Hrungnir boasts 
in, 73 ; unprotected state of, 76 ; 
Thor's return to, 79 ; Loki's return 
to, 80 ; Tyr, a god of, 84 ; Fenris 
brought to, 89 ; Odin brings inspi- 
ration to, 96 ; Idun and Bragi arrive 
in, 99 ; Idun lured out of, 101 ; 
Idun mourns for, 103, 283 ; gods 
return without Idun to, 106; Frey, 
Freya, and Niord in, 107; Niord 
summoned to, 108 ; Thiassi slain 
in, 104, 108; Skadi's honeymoon 
in, 109; Frey welcomed to, 112; 
Freya welcomed to, 124, 131 ; Uller 
rules in, 131; Balder leaves, 133; 
Forseti arrives in, 134; Heimdall 
arrives in, 137; Heimdall leaves, 
141 ; Hermod returns to, 146; Vali 
comes to, 152; sin enters, 154; 
^Egir's visit to, 174; Odin's return 
to, 186; gods' sad return to, 192; 
messengers' return to, 195 ; Loki 
banished from, 200, 204 ; gods wish 
to fortify, 202 ; a Hrim-thurs threat- 
ens, 203; Loki forfeits, 206; fire 
giants storm, 267 ; Olympus, the 



Greek, 276 ; Valkyrs, cupbearers 

in, 287. 
Asgardreia (as-gard-rl'a). Wild 

Hunt called, 30. 
Asia. Plateau of Iran in, 9 ; /Esir 

come from, 43. 
Ask (ask). Ash tree from which gods 

made man, 19; compared to crea- 
tion of Prometheus, 278. 
Aslaug (a-sloug'). The fostering 

of, 249. 
Asynjur (a-sin'jdbr). Northern 

goddesses called, 18. 
Atalanta (at-a-lan'ta). Her apples 

compared to Gerda's, 285. 
Atla (at'la). One of the wave 

maidens, 137. 
Atlantic. Cruise of the Mannigfual 

in the, 214. 
Atlas. Greek equivalent for Rie- 

sengebirge, 290. 
Atli (at'le). Gudrun wooed by, 257 ; 

treachery of, 258 ; Hogni and Gun- 

nar slain by, 259 ; Gudrun slays, 

260 ; same as Attila, 262 ; Gudrun's 

union with, 292. 
Attila (at'i-la). King of the Huns, 

has Cheru's sword, 87; same as 

Atli, 262. 
Aud (oud). Son of Nott, 15. 
Audhumla (ou-dhdbm'la). Cow 

nourishes Ymir, 11. 
Augeia (ou-gi'ya). Wave maiden, 

137- 
Augsburg (awgz'berg). Tvr's city, 

84. 
Aurgiafa (our-gya'fa). Wave 

maiden, 137. 
Austri (ou'stre). Dwarf, supporter 

of heavenly vault at Fast, 14. 
Austria. Curious custom in, 121. 

Bacchus (bak'kus). Gunnar com- 
pared to, 292. 

Balder (bal'der). Allfather ques- 
tions Vafthrudnir about, 38 ; son 
of Frigga, 43 ; Skadi wishes to 
marry, 109; Uller akin to, 132; 
Forseti, son of, 134; Forseti's con- 
nection with, 136; Vali, the avenger 
of, 152; god ni' sun and summer, 
182-198; Loki, real murderer ol, 



2Q8 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



204; absent at iEgir's banquet, 
205 ; compared to Sigurd, 261 ; 
Loki deprives .Esir of, 263 ; the 
return of, 271 ; his death avenged, 
286 ; Hodur murders, 287 ; com- 
pared to Greek sun-gods, 289. 

Balmung (bal'moong). Volund 
forges, 165 ; Odin drives into 
Branstock, 227; Sigmund secures, 
228 ; Siggeir obtains, 229 ; Sinfiotli 
makes use of, 233, 234; Odin 
breaks, 237 ; Hiordis treasures 
shards of, 238 ; forged again, 243 ; 
Fafnir slain by, 245 ; Sigurd cuts 
off Brunhild's armor with, 247; 
laid it between Sigurd and Brun- 
hild, 252 ; Guttorm slain by, 255 ; 
it is put on funeral pyre, 256 ; em- 
blem of sunbeam, 261 ; compared 
to sword of ./Egeus, 291. 

Baltic Sea. Cruise of Mannigfual 
in, 215, 290. 

Barbarossa (bar-ba-ros'sa), Fred- 
erick. Leader of Wild Hunt, 31. 

Baucis (baw'sis). Story of, com- 
pared with Geirrod and Agnar, 279. 

Baugi (bou'ge). Odin serves, 95. 

Beav. Same as Vali, 152. 

Beldegg (bel'deg). King of West 
Saxony, 44. 

Beli (bel'e). Death of, 117; son of 
Kari, 212. 

Behmer (ba/mer). Forest in Bohe- 
mia, 31. 

Bergelmir (ber-gel'mir). Escapes 
deluge, 12, 210; same as Farbauti, 
199. 

Berserker (ber'serk-er). Rage of, 
29 ; wolf held by, 190. 

Bertha (ber'tha). Same as Frigga, 
58; mother of Charlemagne, 58; 
patroness of spinning, 59. 

Bestla (best'la). Giantess, 12; 
^Esir's mortal element from, 16. 

Bethlehem (beth'le-em). Peace of 
Frodi when Christ was born in, 
122. 

Beyggvir (big'vir). Servant of 
Frey, 117. 

Beyla (bi'la). Servant of Frey, 117. 

Bifrost (be'frest). Rainbow bridge, 
20; Valkyrs ride over, 26, 160; de- 



scription of, 137; Heimdall, ward- 
er of, 138; Odin rides over, 184; 
insufncieny of, 202 ; Helgi rides 
over, 236; downfall of, 267; Gial- 
lar-horn proclaims passage of gods 
over, 285. 

Bil. The waning moon, 16. 

Billing. King of Ruthenes, 150; 
anxious to save Rinda, 152. 

Bilskirnir (bil'sker-nir). Thor's 
palace called, 61 ; thralls enter- 
tained in, 62. 

BlNGEN (bing'en). Rat Tower near, 

35- 

Bishop Hatto. Story of, 35. 

Black Death. Pestilence, 170. 

Black Forest. Giants in the, 215. 

Blocksberg (bloks'berg). Norns 
on the, 159. 

Blodug-hofi (blo'dug-ho'fe). 

Frey's steed called, 113; Gymir's 
fire crossed by, 115; compared to 
Pegasus, 284. 

Bloody Eagle. Description of, 85 ; 
Sigurd cuts the, 244. 

Boden (bo'den). The bowl of offer- 
ing, 93- 

Bodvild (bod'veld). Betrayed by 
Volund, 165. 

Bohemian Forest. Same as Beh- 
mer, 31. 

Bolthorn (boF thorn). Giant called, 
12. 

Bolwerk (boFwerk). Odin serves, 

95- 

Bor (ber). Marries Bestla, 12 ; earth 
created by sons of, 13; divine ele- 
ment of gods in, 16. 

Borghild (borg'hild). Sigmund 
marries, 234 ; Sinfiotli poisoned by, 
236: Sigmund repudiates, 277. 

Bornholm (born'holm). The forma- 
tion of, 215; Mannigfual cruise 
connected with, 290. 

Bous (bo'us). Same as Vali, 152. 

Braga-ful (bra/ga-ful). Toast in 
honor of Bragi, 99. 

Braga-men. Northern scalds, 99. 

Braga-WOMEN. Northern priest- 
esses, 99. 

Bragi (bra/ge). Heroes welcomed 
to Asgard by, 26 ; Gunlod, mother 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



! 99 



of, 43 ; god of music and eloquence, 
95-99; birth of, 97; the absence 
of, 102 ; Idun mourns for, 103 ; 
Idun sought by, 105 ; remains with 
Idun in Nirl-heim, 106 ; heroes wel- 
comed by Heimdall and, 141 ; iEgir 
delights in tales of, 1 74 ; compared 
to Greek divinities, 283. 
Branstock (bran'stok). .Oak in 
Volsungs' hall, 226 ; sword thrust 
in the, 227; Sigmund under the, 

234- 

Brechta (brek'ta). Frigga, 58. 

Breidablik (bri'da-blik). Balder's 
palace, 182; Balder's corpse car- 
ried to, 189; compared to Apollo's 
palace, 289. 

Brimer (bri'mer). Hall of giants, 

273- 

Brisinga-men (bri-sing'a-men). 

Necklace of Freya, 127; Loki at- 
tempts to steal, 140, 286 ; emblem 
of fruitfulness, 141 ; made by 
dwarfs, 218. 

Brock. Jealousy of, 66; Loki's 
wager with, 67 ; three treasures of, 
68 ; wager won by, 69 ; story com- 
pared with that of Io, 282. 

Brocken (brok'en). Witches' dance 
on the, 130; Norns on the, 159. 

Brownies. Same as dwarfs, 217; 
same as elves, 223. 

Brunhild (broon'hild). A Valkyr, 
165 ; Sigurd finds, 247 ; Sigurd 
wooes, 248 ; Sigurd marries, 249 ; 
Sigurd forgets, 250 ; Gunnar loves, 
251 ; Gunnar wooes by proxy, 252 ; 
wrath and jealousy of, 253 ; Hogni 
swears to avenge, 254; rejoices at 
death of Sigurd, 255; death of, 
256; Atli, brother of, 257; com- 
pared to Greek divinities, 261, 291, 
292. 

Brunnaker (broon'na-ker). Idun's 
grove in, 102. 

Burgundian (ber-gun'di-an). Ildico, 
a princess, 87 ; Gunnar, a monarch, 
262. 

Buri (bu're). Creation of, 11 ; giants' 
war against, 12. 

Buri. Grove where Frey and Gerda 
meet, 116. 



Byzantine (bi-zan'tin). Norsemen 
influenced by that faith, 224. 

Cacus (ka'kus). Hrungnir compared 
to, 282. 

Caduceus (ka-du'she-us). Gamban- 
tein compared to, 286. 

Cain's Hunt. The Wild Hunt, 32. 

Calais (karis). Mannigfual passes, 
214. 

Calypso (ka-lip'so). Compared to 
Holda, 281. 

Camomile. Called " Balder's brow," 
182. 

Capitoline Hill. Vitellius slain 
on, 87. 

Carthage. Compared to-Seeland, 
280. 

Castor. Compared to Erp, Sorli, 
and Hamdir, 292. 

Cattegat (kat'e-gat). yEgir dwells 
in, 171, 288. 

Caucasus (kaw'ka-sus). Loki's pun- 
ishment compared to Prometheus 's 
on the, 289. 

Celtic (sel'tik). Origin of the lan- 
guage, 274. 

Cephalus (sef'a-lus). A personifi- 
cation of the sun, 277. 

Cerberus (ser'be-rus). Analogy of 
Garm and, 288. 

Ceres (se'rez). Compared to Rinda, 
277; compared to Frigga, 279; 
compared to Groa, 282 ; personifi- 
cation of earth, 289. 

Cerynean Stag (ser-i-ne'an). Story 
of, 276. 
I Changelings. Recipe for riddance 
of, 31, 219. 

Chaos. World rose from, 10 ; anal- 
ogy between Greek and Northern 
conception of, 275. 

Chariot. Sun and moon, 14; night 
and day, 15; Irmin's, 36; Holda's, 
57; Nerthus's, 59; Thor's, 64, 69, 
78; Frey's, 113; Freya's, 128; 
comparison between chariots of 
Greek and Northern gods, 276. 

Charlemagne (shar'le-man). Lead- 
er of Wild Hunt, 31, 32; Bertha, 
mother of, 58 ; Freya's temple de- 
stroyed by, 128; sword of, 165. 



3°° 



GLOSSARY AND IXDEX. 



Charles V. Alva, general of, 88. 

Charles's Wain. Same as Great 
Bear, 36. 

Charon (ka'ron). Compared to Mod- 
gud, 288. 

Charybdis (ka-rib'dis). Northern 
parallel to, 283. 

Cheru (ker'u). Same as Tyr, 86; 
sword of, 87, 88; Heimdall same 
as, 141. 

Cheruski (ke-rdos'ke). The wor- 
ship of the, 86. 

Chiron (ki'ron). Compared to 
Gripir, 291. 

Christ. Peace of Frodi at birth of, 
122. 

Christianity. Attempts to intro- 
duce, 58, 88, 130, 212. 

Christians. Easter feast, 58 ; Norse- 
men in contact with, 272. 

Christiansoe. Formation of, 215. 

Christmas. Wild Hunt at, 31; 
Bertha's visit at, 59 ; Yule now 
called, 121; trolls celebrate, 213. 

Clio (kli'6). Same as Saga, 279. 

Colchis (kol'kis). Argo sails to, 
282. 

Cologne (ko-lon'). Odin visits, 86. 

Columbus. Norsemen discovered 
America before, 224. 

Coronis (ko-ro'nis). Ratatosk com-, 
pared to crow in story of, 278. 

Cretan Labyrinth. Compared to 
Volund's house, 287. 

Crete (kret). Odin's tomb at Up- 
sala compared to Jupiter's in, 280. 

Cyclops (si'klops). Compared to 
Loki, 284 ; to Northern dwarfs, 291. 

Cynthia (sin'thi-a). Mani compared 
to, 276. 

D.EDALUS (de'da-lus). Compared 

to Volund, 287. 
Dag. Son of Nott, 15 ; a treacherous 

Hunding, 235.^ 
Dain (da'in). Stag on Lerad, 20. 
Danae (dan'a-e). Compared to 

Rinda, 286. 
Danes. Sacrificing place of, 53 ; 

Frey, ruler of, 122 ; Mysinger slays, 

123 ; Ragnar Lodbrog, king of the, 

249. 



Danish Ballad. Aager and Else a, 
170. 

Danube. Cheru's sword buried on 
banks of, 87. 

Daphne (daf'ne). Northern equiv- 
alent, 277. 

Day. Divisions of, 17; Vafthrudnir's 
questions about, 32. 

December. Hirers month, 133. 

Deianeira (de-i-a-nl'ra). Loki's 
jealousy compared to that of, 289. 

Dellinger (delTing-er). Third hus- 
band of Nott, 15. 

Delphi (del'fi). Compared to Gimli, 
290. 

Deluge. Ymir's blood causes, 12; 
Ragnarok, a version of, 290. 

Denmark. Odin conquers, 43, 44 ; 
Freyin, 122; Freyain, 124; Konur, 
king of, 143; Noras visit, 157; 
horn in collection of, 214; Gudrun 
leaves, 257. 

Destiny. Compared to Orlog, 278. 

Deucalion (du-kaTi-on) and Pyrrha 
compared to Lif and Lifthrasir, 290. 

Diana (di-a'na). Mani corresponds 
to, 276 ; Skadi compared to, 284. 

Dido (di'do). Compared to Gefjon, 
280. 

Dises (dis'ez). Norns same as, 159. 

Dodona (do-do'na). Compared to 
Upsala, 280. 

Dolmens. Stone altars called, 85. 

Donar (do'nar). Same as Thor, 61. 

Dover. Mannigfual passes, 214, 
290. 

Draupnir (droup'nir). Odin's ring 
called, 24 ; Sindri and Brock make, 
67; Odin receives, 68; Skirnir of- 
fers Gerda, 115; laid on Balder's 
pyre, 190; Balder sends Odin, 194; 
emblem of fertility, 196; dwarfs 
fashion, 218; Greek equivalent, 
282. 

Droma (dro'ma). Chain for Fenris, 
90 ; proverb about, 283. 

Druids (droo'idz). Human sacri- 
fices of, 85. 

Drusus (droo'susV Warned by a 
Vala, 158. 

Dryads (dri'adz). Northern equiv- 
alent for, 277. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



3°- 



Duke of Alva. Cheru's sword 
found by, 88. 

Duneyr (du'nlr). Stag on Lerad, 
20. 

Dunmow (dun'mou). Flitch of ba- 
con, 121. 

Durathor (du'ra-thor). Stag on 
Lerad, 20. 

" Dusk of the Gods." Wagner's 
opera, 225. 

Dvalin (dva'lin). Stag on Lerad, 
20 ; dwarf visited by Loki, 66. 

Dwarfs. Black elves called, 18; 
^Egir does not rank with, 171 ; one 
burned with Balder, 191 ; occupa- 
tions of, 217-221 ; home of the, 
2 73 5 nightmares are, 291. 

Eagor. Same as ^Egir, 173. 
East Saxony. Conquered by Odin, 

44- 

Easter. Same as Ostara, 57; stones, 
altars to Ostara, 58. 

Eastre. Same as Ostara, 57. 

Echo. Dwarf's talk, 218. 

Eckhardt (ek'hart). Tannhauser 
stopped by, 56 ; compared to Men- 
tor, 281. 

Eclipses. Northern belief concern- 
ing cause of, 16. 

Edda. Collection of Northern myths, 
10, 45, 225, 272; sword-runes in, 
85 ; Frey's wooing related in, 1 14 ; 
Heimdall's visit to earth described 
in, 141 ; Saemund, compiler of El- 
der, 224 ; heroic lays in, 225 ; 
Younger, 44. 

Egia (e'gya). Wave maiden, 137. 

Egil (e'gil). Marries a Valkyr, 163 ; 
arrow of, 165; Thialfi's father, 
174. 

Eglimi (eg'li-me). Father of Hior- 
dis, 237. 

Einheriar (In-ha'ri-ar). Odin's 
guests, 25 ; meat of, 27 ; daily bat- 
tles of, 27; Valkyrs wait on, 162; 
Helgi, leader of, 236 ; Giallar-horn 
calls, 266 ; muster of, 268 ; all slain 
on Vigrid, 269. 

Einmyria (m-me'ri-a). Daughter of 
Loki, 199. 

Eira (I'ra). Goddess of medicine, 53. 



Eisa (l'sa). Daughter of Loki, 199. 
Eitel (l'tel). Son of Atli and Gu- 

drun, 257. 
Elb. Water sprite, 179; god of the 

Elbe, 288. 
Elbe (el'be). Drusus stopped at, 

159; river named after Elb, 179. 
Elbegast (erbe-gast). King of the 

dwarfs, 218. 
Elde (el'de). ^Egir's servant, 174. 
Eldhrlmnir (el-dhrim'nir). Kettle 

in Valhalla, 27. 
Elf. Water sprite, 179; elf lights, 

222 ; elf locks, 223. 
Elf. Sigmund buried by, 238 ; Hior- 

dis marries, 239 ; second marriage 

of, 256. 
Eli v agar (el-i-vag'ar). Streams of 

ice from Hvergelmir, 10, 12; Thor 

crosses, 76; rolling ice in, 168; 

Thor's journey east of, 171. 
Elli (el'le). Thor wrestles with, 

72, 73- 

Else (el'sa). Ballad of Aager and, 
170. 

Elves. Light elves, 18 ; occupation 
of the, 221-225; yEgir does not 
rank with the, 171. 

Elvidner (el-vid'ner). Hel's hall, 
168. 

Embla (em'bla). The elm or first 
woman, 19; wooden, 278. 

Enceladus (en-sel'a-dus). Com- 
pared to Loki, 289. 

England. Wild Hunt in, 32 ; May- 
day in, 42; Yule in, 119; flitch of 
bacon in, 120, 121 ; miners in, 221 ; 
Albion same as, 221 ; fairies in, 221 ; 
Oberon, fairy king in, 223. 

English Channel. Mannigfual in, 
214. 

Epimetheus (ep-i-me'thils). Com- 
pared to Northern creators, 278. 

Er. Same as Tyr, 86; Heimdall 
same as, 141. 

Erda. Same as Jord, 61. 

Ermenrich (er'men-rekh). Swan- 
hild marries, 260 ; Gudrun's sons 
attack, 261. 

Erna. Jarl marries, 143. 

ERP. Son of Atii and Gudrun, 257; 
son of Jonakur and Gudrun, 260; 



302 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



slain by brothers, 261 ; to avenge 
Swanhild, 292. 

Eskimo. Skadi's dog, in. 

Eubcea (u-be'a). ^Egir's palace 
resembles Neptune's home in, 288. 

Euhemerus (u-hem'er-us). Histor- 
ical theory of, 280. 

Europa (u-ro'pa). Northern equiv- 
alent for story of, 290. 

Europe. vEsir migrate into, 43 ; 
discovery of, 274. 

Eurydice (u-rid'i-se). Compared 
to Idun, 283. 

Euxine Sea (uk'sin). Mannigfual's 
cruise compared to Argo's in, 290. 

Evening. Part of day, 17. 

Exorcism. Of spectral hound, 31 ; of 
changelings, 219, 220. 

Fadir (fa/dir). Heimdall visits, 143. 

" Faerie Queene." Girdle in, 218. 

Fafnir (faf'nir). Son of Hreidmar, 
240 ; gold seized by, 243 ; Sigurd 
goes to slay, 244, 245, 246 ; Gu- 
drun eats heart of, 251; personifi- 
cation of cold and darkness, 262, 
292; compared to Python, 291. 

Fairy Rings. Magic spell of, 221. 

Fairyland. Alf-heim is, 112. 

Farbauti (far-bou'te). Same as 
Bergelmir, 199. 

Faroe Islands. Thor's name in, 81. 

Fates. Yggdrasil sprinkled by 
Northern, 20 ; compared to Norns, 
286, 287. 

February. Vali's month is, 153. 

Feng. Same as Odin, 244. 

Fenia. Giantess slave of Frodi, 122. 

Fenris (fen'ris). Birth and capture 
of, 89 ; story of, 89-92 ; shoe to 
defend Vidar against, 148 ; predic- 
tion concerning, 149; Hel related 
to, 166; birth of, 200; Loki, father 
of, 212 ; released from bonds, 265 ; 
Loki leads, 268 ; death of, 269 ; 
Tyr alone dare face, 283 ; compared 
to Nemean lion, 286 ; compared to 
Pyrrhus, 290. 

Fensalir (fen'sal-ir). Frigga's pal- 
ace, 47; Frigga spinning in, 187. 

Fialar (fyal'ar). I. Kvasir slain by, 
93. 2. Red cock of Valhalla, 265. 



Fimbulwinter (fim'bul-win-ter). 

Prediction of coming, 192 ; terror 

of people at approach of, 264; 

Greek equivalent, 291. 
Finite Nature. Of gods, 16. 
Finns. Hermod visits the, 145. 
Fiolnir (fyol'nir). 1. Birth of, 117. 

2. Same as Odin, 244. 
Fiorgyn (fyor'gen). Genealogy of, 

43 ; Frigga, daughter of, 46. 
Flax. Discovery of, 54-56. 
Flint. Origin of, 75, 76. 
Flitch. Of bacon, 120, 121. 
Flora. Nanna compared to, 289. 
Folkvang (fok'vang). Freya's 

home, 77, 124; warriors and wives 

in, 125 ; Loki enters, 140. 
Forenoon. Part of day, 17. 
Fornjotnr (forn-yot'nr). Same as 

Ymir, 199 ; giants descended from, 

212. 
Forseti (for-set'e). God of justice, 

134-137; Greek equivalent for, 

186; the land of, 136. 
Fraananger (fra-nan'ger). Loki 

takes refuge in, 206. 
France. Golden age in, 58 ; Oberon, 

fairy king in, 223. 
Franconia. Conquered by Odin, 44. 
Frankish. Kings' descent, 212; 

queen marries giant, 290. 
Frankland. Hindarfiall in, 246. 
Franks. Worship of Tyr among 

the, 85 ; martial games of the, 88. 
Frau Gode (frou go'da). Same as 

Frigga, 59. 
Frau Holle. Same as Frigga, 54. 
Frau Venus. Same as Holda, 56. 
Frederick Barbarossa. Wild 

Hunt led by, 31. 
Freki (frek'e). Odin's wolf, 24, 

278. 
French Revolution. Wild Hunt 

announces, 32. 
Frey (fri). Comes to Asgard, 22, 

107; present for, 66; Gullin-bursti 

and Skidbladnir for, 68 ; toast to, 

in; god of summer, 112-124; 

Freya, sister of, 124; rides with 

Freya, 128; Freya marries, 129; 

sword of, 219; elves governed by, 

221; deprived of power, 223; 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



303 



weapon, a stag's horn, 267 ; fights 
Surtr, 269 ; death of, 282 ; boar of, 
2S2 ; Greek equivalent, 284. 

Freya (fri'a). Comes to Asgard, 
22, 107; Hrungnir wants, 74; Loki 
borrows falcon plumes of, 77, 103 ; 
anger of, 77; Trior borrows gar- 
ments of, 78 ; Thor personates, 79 ; 
Freya, goddess of beauty, 124-130 ; 
Friday sacred to, 128; Loki steals 
necklace of, 140, 199; the earth is, 
141; Valkyrs led by, 162 ; prom- 
ised to giant, 202 ; gods fear to lose, 
203 ; dwarfs make necklace for, 218 ; 
Greek equivalents, 279, 282, 285. 

Freygerda (fri-ger'da). Wife of 
Fridleef, 122. 

Friday. Sacred to Freya, 128. 

Fridleef (frid'leef). Same as Frey, 
122. 

Frigga (frig'a). Sits on Hlidskialf, 
23 ; Odin disguises himself by ad- 
vice of, 37 ; Agnar fostered by, 40 ; 
Odin outwitted by, 41, 49; wife of 
Vili and Ve, 42 ; Odin's wife, 43 ; 
seven sons of, 44 ; goddess of earth, 
44-60 ; goddess of atmosphere, 46 ; 
secrecy of, 46 ; worshiped with 
Odin, 54; Thor, son of, 61; Ner- 
thus same as, 108 ; Freya same as, 
124; Uller marries, 131; Balder 
and Hodur, sons of, 182 ; Balder 's 
depression noticed by, 183; all 
things swear to, 184; Loki wrests 
secret from, 187, 188; Hermod de- 
parts at request of, 189; the hope 
of, 192; emblem of earth, 196; 
grants Rerir's wish, 226 ; Greek 
equivalents, 279, 280, 282, 289. 

Frisians (friz'ianz). Want new 
laws, 135; tradition of, 214. 

Fro. Same as Frey, 112, 120, 284. 

Frodi (fro'de). Mill of, 122; death 
of, 123. 

Fulla (ful'a). Attendant of Frigga, 
48-50; Nanna sends ring to, 194. 

Funfeng (fun'feng). /Egir's ser- 
vant, 174; Loki jealous of, 205. 

FYLGiE(fel'gye). Guardian spirit, 159. 

Gabriel's Hounds. Wild Hunt in 
England, 30. 



Galar (gal'ar). Kvasir slain by, 

93- 

Gambantein (gam'ban-tln). Wand 
of Hermod, 145 ; like Caduceus, 
286. 

Gamla Upsala (gam'la up-sa'la). 
Odin's, Frey's, and Thor's mounds 
near, 118. 

Gangler (gang'ler). Deludes Gylfi, 
44. 

Gangrad (gang'rad). Odin as, 37. 

Ganymede (gan'i-med). Northern 
equivalent for story of, 283. 

Garm. Dog of Hel, 167; Odin 
passes, 184; the feeding of, 265; 
Hel followed by, 266 ; Loki leads, 
268 ; death of, 269 ; compared to 
Cerberus, 288. 

Gefjon (gef'yon). Gylfi visited by, 
52; compared to Dido, 280. 

Gefn. Same as Freya, 125. 

Geir Odds (gir odz). Carving of, 
44, 169. 

Geirrod (gir'rod). I. Story of, 39- 
41. 2. Loki visits, 79; Thor visits, 
79, 148; Loki accompanies Thor 
to, 199; Greek equivalent, 279. 

Gelgia (gel'gya). End of Fenris's 
fetter, 92. 

Gerda (ger'da). Wooed by Frey, 
114, 115, 116; Greek counterparts 
of, 285. 

Geri (ger'e). Odin's wolf, 24, 278. 

German. Cheru's sword belongs to 
a, 86 ; Langobart, a long beard in, 
50; Eckhardt the mentor, 56; be- 
lief in Lorelei, 180; topographical 
belief, 211; belief in fairies, 222; 
epic, Nibelungenlied, 225. 

Germany. Wild Hunt in, 32 ; Odin 
conquers, 43 ; Abundantia wor- 
shiped in, 5 1 ; worship of Frigga 
in, 54; Easter-stones in, 58; golden 
age in, 58 ; belief in White Lady 
in, 59 ; Thor, kettle vender in, 64 ; 
storms in, 69; Nerthus in, 108; 
Frey is Fro in, 112; Yule in, 119; 
Freya's worship in, 124, 125 ; tem- 
ple in Magdeburg in, 128; Freya 
now a witch in, 130 ; Uller in, 132 ; 
the PZlbe in, 179; sandhills in, 214; 
sacrifices to elves in, 223. 



3°4 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Gersemi (ger'se-me). Freya's 

daughter, 125. 
Gertrude (ger'trood). Replaces 

Freya in Germany, 130. 
GlALLAR (gyalTar). Bridge in Nifl- 

lieim, iby ; Odin rides over, 184; 

trembling of, 192 ; Greek equiva- 
lent, 288. 
Giallar-horx. Heimdall's trumpet, 

21,38; last blast of the, 265 ; Greek 

equivalent, 286. 
Gialp (gyalp). Incantation of, 80; 

Thor breaks the back of, 81 ; wave 

maiden called, 137. 
Giants. Birth of ice, 1 1 ; gods slay 

the, 12; vEgir does not belong to 

the, 171 ; Hyrrokin summoned by 

the, 190; general account of the, 

210-217; Brimer, hall of, 273. 
Gilling (gil'ling). Giant slain by 

dwarfs, 93 ; death of wife of, 94. 
Gimli (gim'le). Not consumed in 

Ragnarok, 272; compared to Del- 
phi, 290. 
Ginnunga-gap (ge-noon'ga-gap). 

Primeval abyss, 10; giants come 

to life in, 210. 
Gioll (gyol). Rock to which Fen- 

ris is bound, 92. 
Gioll (gyel). River boundary of 

Nifl-heim, 167; Hermod crosses, 

192 ; like Acheron, 288. 
Giuki (gi-'ooki). Niblung king, 

250 ; Sigurd, blood brother of sons 

of, 251. 
GlUKlNGS. Sons of Giuki, 251; Si- 

gurd slain by, 256. 
Glads-heim (gladz-him). Twelve 

seats in, 25 ; Tyr welcomed in, 84; 

Vali dwells in, 153; Odin returns 

to, 187. 
Glasir (gla'sir). The golden grove 

of, 25. 
Glaumvor (gloum'vor). Second 

wife of Gunnar, 257. 
Glaur (glour). Husband of Sol, 14. 
Gleipnir (gllp'nir). Manufacture 

of, 90, 91. 
Glitnir (glit'nir). Forseti's hall, 

134- 
Glittering Heath. Fafnir on the, 

243. 



Glut (gloot). Lola's first wife, 199. 
Gna (gna). Messenger of Frigga, 

51; carries apple to Rerir, 226; 

compared to Iris, 280. 
Gxipa (gne'pa). Cave in Nifl-heim, 

167; Garni in, 288. 
GNITAHEID (gne'ta-hid). Fafnir on, 

243- 
Gnomes (nomz). Same as dwarfs, 

18. 
Goblins. Same as dwarfs, 217. 
Gode (go'de). Same as Frigga, 59. 
Godey. Thor's temple at, 82. 
Godi. Human sacrifices by, 85. 
Gold. Freya's tears are, 126; the 

flame of the sea, 172. 
Golden Age, 19 ; Noras arrive after, 

154; Greek equivalent for North- 
ern, 278; Frey's reign the, 284. 
Gondemar (gon'de-mar). King of 

the dwarfs, 218. 
Gothland. Thor's temple in, 82; 

Sigmund leaves, 234; Ermenrich, 

king of, 260. 
Goths. Siggeir, king of the, 226 ; 

Sigmund and Sinfiotli, prisoners of 

the, 233. 
Grant (gra/ne). Sigurd chooses, 40. 
Great Bear. Odin's Wain, 36. 
Greenland. First settlement, 224. 
Greip (grip). Thor breaks the back 

of, 81 ; a wave maiden called, 137. 
Grendel. Son of Hler, 213. 
Greyfell (gra'fel). Same as Grane, 

240 ; Sigurd loads hoard on, 246 ; 

Gunnar borrows, 251 ; Sigurd rides 

through flames on, 252 ; burned 

with Sigurd, 256. 
Grid. Wife of Odin, 43, 80, 147 ; 

gives Vidar shoe, 148 ; with Vidar 

and Odin, 149. 
Grlmhild (grim'hild). Queen of 

the Niblungs, 250; wishes Gunnar 

to marry, 251, 252, 253; gives 

magic potion to Guttorm, 254; to 

Gudrun, 257. 
Grimxir. Odin as, 41. 
Griottunagard (gryot-tu'na-gard). 

The dual in, 74. 
Gripir (gre'pir). Stud-keeper of 

Elf, 240; prophecies of, 244; com- 
pared to Chiron, 291. 



GLOSSARY AND IXDEX. 



305 



Groa (gro'a). Incantations of, 76; 
compared to Ceres, 282. 

Grotti. Magic mill, 122, 123. 

GRYPTO. Nun on, 212. 

Gudrun (goo-droon'). 1. A Valkyr 
marries Helgi, 235 ; self-sacrifice 
of, 236. 2. Gives magic potion to 
Sigurd, 250; marries Sigurd, 251; 
Sigurd gives ring to, 253; Sigurd 
offers to repudiate, 254; mourning 
OI > 2 55 ' g oes to Denmark, 256; 
wooed by Atli, 257; Niblungs 
helped by, 258 ; slays her children, 
259 ; revenge of, 260 ; sends sons 
to avenge Swanhild, 261 ; same 
as Ildico, 262 ; Greek equivalent, 
292. 

Gull-top (gool-top). HeimdalPs 
steed, 139. 

Gullfaxi (gool-fax'e). Hrungnir's 
steed, 73 ; Magni receives, 73. 

Gullin-bursti (gooTin-bers-te). 
Making of, 67 ; Frey receives, 68, 
113; dwarfs manufacture, 218. 

Gullin-kambi (gool'in-kam-be). 
Midgard rooster, 265. 

Gullin-tani (gool'in-ta-ne). Same 
as Heimdall, 139. 

GUNDICARIUS (goon-di-car'i-us). 

Same as Gunnar, 262. 

Gungnir (goong'nir). Odin's spear, 
24; made of Yggdrasil wood, 37; 
runes on, 39 ; Dvalin makes point 
of, 66, 218 ; Odin receives, 68 ; Her- 
mod throws, 144; Dag borrows, 
235; Greek equivalent, 277. 

Gunlod (goon'lod). Mother of 
Bragi, 43 ; guardian of inspiration, 
94; Odin marries, 95. 

Gunnar (gun'nar). Son of Giuki, 
250; wooing of Brunhild by, 251 ; 
Brunhild marries, 254; repentance 
of, 255 ; Brunhild burned by order 
of, 256; Atli asks compensation 
for death of, 257 ; courage and oath 
of, 258; death of, 259; same as 
Gundicarius, 262 ; Greek equiva- 
lents, 292. 

Guttorm (goot'torm). Son of 
Giuki, 250; Sigurd slain by, 254; 
death of, 255. 

Gylfi (gel'fe). Odin welcomed by, 



43; delusion of, 44; Gefjon visits, 
52 ; Greek equivalent, 280. 
Gymir (ge'mir). Gerda, daughter 
of, 114; dwelling of, 115; . Kgir 
same as, 173; son of Hler, 213. 

Hades (ha'dez). Compared to Nifl- 
heim, 281, 289; Jotun-heim com- 
pared to, 283. 

Hagal. Fosters Helgi, 235. 

Hagedises (hag'e-dis-ez). Norns 
called, 159. 

Hakon (ha/kon). Thora, daughter 
of, 256 ; marries a Valkyr, 287. 

Hallinskide (haTlin-ske-de). 

Heimdall, same as, 141. 

Hamadryads. Northern equiva- 
lents, 277. 

Hamdir (ham'dir). Son of Gu- 
drun, 260; death of, 261; Greek 
equivalent, 292. 

Hamelin (ham'e-lin). Story of Pied 
Piper of, ^2) 34 j Greek equivalent, 
280. 

Hammer. To dedicate boundaries, 
homes, marriages, 64; the theft of 
the, 70 ; sign of the, 99. 

Hamond. Son of Sigmund, 235. 

Hans von Hackelberg. Leader 
of Wild Hunt, 31, 32. 

Har. One of the triad seen by Gylfi, 
44. 

Harald Harfager (haVfag-er). 
Norseman driven away by, 224. 

Hati (ha'te). Wolf pursuing orbs, 
16; fed in Ironwood, 265; demon 
of darkness, 290. 

Hatto. Bishop of Mayence, 35. 

Havamal (hav'a-mal). Code of laws 
and ethics, 45. 

Hebe (he'be). Compared to Val- 
kyrs, 287. 

Hector. Northern equivalent, 290. 

Heidrun (hi'droon). Goat supplying 
mead, 20 ; compared to Amalthea, 
278. 

Heim-dellinger. Same as Heim- 
dall, 139. 

Heimchen. Unborn children, 58. 

Heimdall (him'dal). Bifrost 

guarded by, 21; nine mothers of, 
43; Thor advised by, 78; Idun 



3° 6 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



sought by, 105 ; Brisinga-men saved 
by, 127; watch-warder of Asgard, 
137-143; connected with iksir, 
147 ; watchfulness of, 202 ; Loki to 
be slain by, 208 ; horn blown by, 
265 ; Loki fights, 268 ; death of, 
269 ; Greek equivalents, 286. 

Heime. Miming, the sword of, 165. 

" Heimskringla " (himz'kring-la). 
Northern chronicle, 117. 

Hel. Goddess of death, 32 ; birth 
and banishment of, 89, 200 ; realm 
of, 98 ; Idun's sojourn with, 105, 
106; Uller with, 133; Skuld as, 
159; the home of, 166-170; Odin 
visits, 184; daughter of Loki, 212; 
Hermod passes, 184; couches 
spread by, 185 ; Hermod visits, 
189 ; challenged, 192 ; urged to re- 
lease Balder, 193; Hermod leaves, 
194; the bird of, 265; arrives on 
Vigrid, 266 ; army of, 268 ; realm 
burned, 269 ; Garm guards gate of, 
288 ; rake of, 289. 

Hel-cake. Provided for Garm, 169. 

Hel-gate. Hermod passes, 167, 193. 

Hel-shoes. For feet of dead, 167. 

Hel-way. Hermod journeys along 
the, 192. 

Hela. Same as Hel, 166. 

Helen. Northern equivalents, 290, 
291, 292. 

Helferich (hel'fer-ekh). Same as 
Elf, 238. 

Helfrat (hel'frat). Same as Elf, 
238. 

Helgi. Glorious career of, 234, 235 ; 
marriage of, 287. 

Heliades (he-H'a-dez). Northern 
equivalent, 285. 

Helicon. Compared to Sokvabek, 
279; to Od-hroerir, 283. 

Heligoland (hel'i-go-land). Nam- 
ing of, 131. 

Helios (he'li-os). Northern equiva- 
lent, 276. 

Helmet of Dread, 242, 243 ; Sigurd 
uses the, 246, 251, 256. 

Hengi-kiaptr (heng'ge-kyap'tr). 
Frodi's mill called, 122. 

Hengist (heng'gist). Descendant of 
Odin, 44. 



Henry. Murder of, 32 ; Use seen 
by, 215. 

Heraclid^: (her-a-kll'de). North- 
ern equivalents, 279. 

Hercules (her'cu-lez). Northern 
equivalents, 276, 281, 282, 286, 
287, 289. 

Herla. Mythical king of England, 
32. 

Herlathing. Wild Hunt called, 32. 

Herm^l (her'me). Comparison be- 
tween Northern boundaries and, 
281. 

Hermod (her'mod). Heroes wel- 
comed by, 26; Frigga mother of, 
43 ; messenger of gods, 144, 146 ; 
journeys to Nifl-heim, 167, 189, 
190, 192; Greek equivalent, 286. 

Herod. Leader of Wild Hunt, 32. 

Heru. Same as Tyr, 86 ; same as 
Heimdall, 141. 

Hervor (her'vor). Daughter of An- 
gantyr, 219. 

Hialli (hyal'le). The trembling 
heart of, 259. 

High Song. Same as Havama.1, 45. 

Himinbiorg (him'in-byerg). Heim- 
dall's palace, 138, 143. 

Himinbrioter (him'in-bryo-ter). 
Thor slays, 175. 

Hindarfiall (hin'dar-fyal). Sigurd 
comes to, 246 ; Brunhild asleep on, 
248 ; Brunhild's story not ended 
on, 250. 

Hindfell (hind'fel). Same as Hin- 
darfiall. 

Hiordis (hyor'dis). Sigmund mar- 
ries, 237 ; and leaves sword to, 238 ; 
Elf marries, 239 ; Sigurd obtains 
sword from, 244; death of, 256. 

Hippomenes (hip-pom'e-nez). 

Northern equivalent, 285. 

Hiuki (hu'ke). Companion of Mani, 
16; Greek equivalent, 290. 

Hlader (hla/der), Thor's temple 
at, 82. 

Hleidra (hli'dra). Capital of Den- 
mark, 53. 

Hler. Same as vEgir, 171, 173; 
brother of Loki, 199 ; son of Forn- 
jotnr, 212. 

Hlesey. yEgir's palace in, 171, 174. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



3°7 



Hlidskialf (hlidz'kyalf). Odin's 
seat, 23, 25, 79; Odin sees sons 
of Hrauding from, 39 ; Frigga sits 
on, 46 ; Odin sees Vandals from, 
49; Frey mounts, 114. 

Hlin. Frigga's attendant, 51. 

Hlodyn (hlo'den). Same as Ner- 
thus, 60. 

Hlora. Thor fostered by,' 61. 

Hlorridi (hlor-re'de). Same as 
Thor, 61. 

HNIKAR (hne'kar). Same as Odin, 
244. 

Hnoss. Freya's daughter, 125. 

Hodmimir (hod-me'mir). The for- 
est of, 270. 

Hodur (ho'der). Personification of 
darkness, 133, 197; Vali to slay, 
152, 186; twin brother of Balder, 
180; Balder to be slain by, 185 ; 
Balder slain by, 188, 189; Vali 
slays, 195, 287 ; explanation of myth 
of, 196; Loki guides hand of, 204; 
return of, 271. 

Hoenir (he'nir). Gives motion to 
man, 19; earth visited by, 101, 
240 ; Loki joins, 102 ; hostage in 
Vana-heim, 107 ; peasant asks aid 
of, 201 ; survival of, 271. 

Hofvarpnir (hof-varp'nir). Gna's 
fleet steed, 51. 

Hogni (heg'ne). Son of Giuki, 250; 
Sigurd's death planned by, 254; 
warning given by, 257; captive, 
258; the heart of, 259. 

Hold a. Same as Frigga, 54 ; Uller, 
husband of, 132. 

Holland. Frigga worshiped in, 59. 

Holle, Frau. Same as Frigga, 54. 

Holler. Same as Uller, 132. 

Holmgang. Thor's and Hrungnir's, 

74, 75- 
Holy Innocents. In Wild Hunt, 32. 
Honey. Drips from Yggdrasil, 20. 
Horn. Same as Freya, 125. 
Horsa. Descendant of Odin, 44. 
Horselberg (her'sel-berg). Holda's 

abode in the, 56, 281. 
Hostages. Exchanged by ^Esir and 

Vanas, 22. 
Hrae-svelgr (hra-svelgr'). Giant 

eagle, 17; winds personified by, 277. 



Hrauding (hroud'ing). Agnar and 

Geirrod, sons of, 39. 
Hreidmar (hrld'mar). Story of, 

240-243. 
Hrim-faxi. Steed of Night, 15. 
Hrim-thurs (hrem-toors). Ice 

giants at creation, 1 1 ; Skadi, a, 109 ; 

architect of Valhalla, a, 203. 
Hrothi (hro'te). Sword of Fafnir, 

243- 
Hrungnir (hroong'nir). Odin races 

with, 73 ; Thor's duel with, 74, 75 ; 

Greek equivalents, 282. 
Hrym (hrem). Vessel steered by, 

266. 
Hubert, Saint. Uller merged into, 

132. 
Hugi (hu'gi). Thialfi races with, 72. 
Hugin (hu'gin). Odin's raven, 24, 

278; Od-hroerir discovered by, 94. 
HuLDA(huFda). Same as Holda, 54. 
Huldra (hul'dra). Same as Holda, 

60. 
Huldra folk. Same as dwarfs and 

elves, 60, 217, 223. 
Hunaland. Gna flies over, 51, 234; 

Brunhild's home in, 248. 
Hunding. Helgi's feud with, 235 ; 

descendants of, 237, 257, 260, 262. 
Hungary. Attila settles in, 87. 
Huns. Invasion by the, 87; Sigi, 

king of the, 226 ; Atli, king of the, 

292. 
Huntsman of Fontainebleau. 

Leader of Wild Hunt, 32. 
Hvergelmir (hwer-gel'mir). The 

seething caldron, 10; Yggdrasil 

root near, 19; Nidhug in, 20; ice 

streams from, 168 ; wicked in, 169. 
Hymir (he'mir). Story of Thor's 

visit and fishing with, 174-177. 
Hyndla (hend'la). Freya and Ottar 

visit, 129. 
Hyperboreans. Northern equiva- 
lent, 276. 
Hyperion. Northern equivalent, 276. 
Hyrrokin (her'ro-kin). Ringhorn 

launched by, 190, 191. 

Iafn-HAR (yafn'har). Gylfi sees, 44. 
Iarn-GREIPER (yarn'gri-per). Thor's 
glove, 63. 



3 o8 



GLOSSARY AXD IXDEX. 



IARNSAXA (yarn'sax-a). i. Thor's 
wife called, 64; feeds wolves, 265. 
2. A wave maiden, 137. 

Iceland. Thverain, 118; Freya in, 
124; maze in, 164; earthquakes 
and geysers in, 208 ; Norsemen 
settle in, 272 ; scenery of, 275. 

Icelanders. Records of, 9, 139 ; 
call mountains Jokul, 211. 

Icelandic. Shores, 224. 

Ida. Same as Idavold, 187; same as 
Asgard, 277. 

Idavold. Plain where gods dwell, 
18; gods play on, 187; Balder slain 
on, 188; last meeting on, 271. 

Idises (e-dis'ez). Noras, 159. 

IDUN (e'doon). Daughter of Ivald, 
98; story of, 100-106; returns to 
Asgard, 108; apples of, 155; Loki 
betrays, 199; Greek equivalents, 
283, 284. 

Ifing (e'fing). River surrounding 
Idavold, 18 ; Vafthrudnir asks 
about, ^S ; Loki flies across, 77. 

Ildico (il'di-co). Wife of Attila, 87, 
88; same as Gudrun, 262. 

Ilse (il'se). Story of Princess, 215 ; 
compared to Arethusa, 288. 

Ilsenstein (iFsen-stin). Home of 
Princess Ilse, 215. 

India. Languages of, 274. 

Inglings. Frey's descendants called, 
122, 279. 

L\GVI-FrEY. Story of, 117-122. 

Inspiration. The story of the 
draft of, 93-97. 

Io. Northern equivalents for story 
of, 280, 281. 

Iormungandr (yer'mun-gandr). 

Birth and banishment of, 89 ; Hel 
related to, 166; Thor angles for, 
176 ; origin of, 200 ; rises from sea, 
266; Loki leads, 268; tempests 
caused by, 288. 

Iran (e-ran'). The plateau of, 9. 

Iris (I'ris). Compared to Gna, 280. 

Irmin (er'min). Same as Odin, 
Heimdall, or Hermod, 36, 141, 
146. 

Irmin's Way. The Milky Way, 36. 

Irminsul (er'min-sdbl). Destroyed 
by Charlemagne, 36. 



Ironwood. Iron leaves of, 167; 

wolves fed in, 265. 
Islands. Eglimi, king of the, 237. 
Italy. Golden Age in, 284. 
Ivald (e'vald). Dwarf blacksmith, 

66, 86 ; Idun, daughter of, 98. 

Jack and Jill. Origin of story, 17. 

Jack in the Green, 42. 

Jack-o'-lanterns. Elf lights, 222. 

January. Yule in, 121; Vali's 
month, 153. 

Jarl (yarl). The birth of, 143. 

Jason. Northern equivalents, 282, 
291. 

Jill. The origin of Jack and, 143. 

John the Baptist, 32. 

Jokul (yo'kdbl). Same as Jotun, 211. 

Jonakur. Gudrun, wife of, 260. 

Jord (yerd). Daughter of Nott, 15 ; 
wife of Odin, 43, 46, 61. 

J6TUN-HEIM (ye'toon-hhn). Home 
of giants, 12; Vafthrudnir inquires 
about, 38 ; frost comes from, 69 ; 
Loki's journey to, 78 ; Odin gazes 
at, 79 ; Thor visits Geirrod in, 80 ; 
Loki's progeny in, 88, 89 ; Odin 
goes to, 94; Skirnir visits, 115; 
Thor personates Freya in, 127; 
Hel born in, 166; Hyrrokin dwells 
in, 190; Loki goes to, 198, 199; 
Loki's home in, 200 ; giants dwell 
in, 210; Tartarus compared to, 
275 ; Idun in, 283. 

Jotuns. Earth in the power of the, 
48; the origin of, 210, 211 ; Thor 
feared by the, 211. 
I Jove. Day of, in the North, 282. 
J Joyeuse (zhwa/yez). Charlemagne's 

sword, 165. 
; Judea (ju-de'a). Bethlehem in, 122. 

Juno. Compared to Frigga, 280, 
282 ; to Freya, 287. 

Jupiter. Odin compared to, 275, 
277, 279, 280; Amalthea, nurse of, 
278; quarrels with Neptune, 278; 
outwitted by Juno, 280 ; Thor com- 
pared to, 281 ; secures Ganymede, 
282 ; compared to Frey, 284 ; wishes 
to marry Thetis, 286 ; wooing of 
Europa, 290. 

Justice. Compared to Forseti, 286, 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



309 



Juternajesta (yoo-ter-na-jest'a). 
Senjemand loves, 212. 

Kari (kar'e). Brother of .rEgir, 
171 ; brother of Loki, 199; son of 
Fornjotnr, 212. 

Karl. The birth of, 142. 

Kerlaug (ker'loug). Thor wades 
across, 62. 

Knefrud (knef'rood). Invites Nib- 
lungs to Hungary, 257; death of, 
258. 

Kobold. Same as dwarfs, 18, 217; 
same as elves, 223. 

Konur. The birth of, 143. 

Koppelberg. Children in the, 34. 

Kormt. Thor crosses, 62. 

Kvasir (kva/sir). 1. Murder of, 
93 ; Odin covets mead of, 94. 2. 
Loki surprised by, 206. 

Laeding (la'ding). Chain for Fenris, 

90 ; proverb concerning, 283. 
Laga (la/ga). Same as Saga, 43. 
Lampetia (lam-pe-ti'a). Northern 

equivalent for flocks of, 276. 
Landvidi (land-ve'di). Home of 

Vidar, 147, 149. 
Langobards. Story of, 50 ; Greek 

equivalent for, 280. 
Laufeia (lou-fi'a). Mother of Loki, 

199. 
Laugardag (lou'gar-dag). Satur- 
day called, 209. 
Laurin (lou'rin). King of the 

dwarfs, 218. 
Leipter (lip'ter). Sacred stream in 

Nifl-heim, 168. 
Lemnos. Northern equivalent for 

forge of, 291. 
Lerad (la'rad). Topmost bough 

of Yggdrasil, 20, 26 ; the animals 

feed upon, 20. 
Lessoe. Island home of ^Egir, 171. 
Lethra (leth'ra). Sacrifices offered 

at, 53- 
Lif. One of the survivors of Rag- 

narok, 270 ; Greek counterpart of, 

290. 
Lifthrasir (lif'thra-sir). One of 

the survivors of Ragnarok, 270; 

Greek counterpart, 290. 



Light elves. Alf-heim, dwelling of, 
112. 

LlOD (lyod). Same as (ina, 226. 

LlOS-ALFAR ((lyos'-alf-ar). Same as 
light elves, 221. 

Lios-beri (lyos'-ba-re). Month of 
Vali, 153. 

Lodur (lo'door). Gives blood to 
man, 19; same as Loki, 199. 

Lofn (lofn). Attendant of Frigga, 
52. 

Logi (lo'ge). Cook of Utgard-loki, 
71 ; wild fire, 72. 

Logrum (lo'grum). Lake of, 53. 

Loki (lo'ke). God of fire, 19 ; Sif's 
hair stolen by, 65 ; Thor attacks, 
66 ; different forms of, 66 ; wager 
with Brock, 67; flight of, 68; 
Brock sews lips of, 69 ; eating- 
wager of, 71 ; hammer recovered 
by, 76 ; marries giantess, 88 ; ad- 
venture with eagle, 10 1 ; called 
to account, 103 ; south wind is, 
104; Skadi laughs at antics of, 
109; the lightning is, in; Bri- 
singa-men stolen by, 127; falcon 
plumes borrowed by, 127; Freya 
urged by, 129; Freya accused by, 
130; Hel, daughter of, 166; ^Egir, 
brother of, 171; Frigga questioned 
by, 187; Hodur's hand guided by, 
188 ; Thok, same as, 194 ; the jeal- 
ousy of, 196 ; tempter personified 
by, 197; god of fire, 198-209; son 
of Fornjotnr, 212; visits the earth, 
240; slays Otter, 241; secures 
hoard, 242 ; ^Esir tolerate, 263 ; 
released from bonds, 265 ; boards 
Nagilfar, 266 ; foes led by, 267, 
268 ; death of, 269 ; Greek equiva- 
lent for Loki's theft, 281 ; compari- 
sons, 283, 286, 289, 290. 

Lombards. Story of the, 50. 

Lombardy. The possession of, 50. 

Longbeards. The saga of the, 50. 

Lorelei (lo're-li). Story of, 179, 
180; Greek equivalent, 288. 

Lorride (lor'ri-de). Thor's daugh- 
ter, 64. 

Lucifer. Loki the mediaeval, 198. 

Lydian Queen. Northern equiva- 
lent, 281. 



3io 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Lygni (leg'ni). Wars against Sig- 
mund, 237, 238 ; Sigurd slays, 244. 

Lymdale (lem'dal). Brunhild's 
home at, 248. 

Lyngvi (leng'vi). Island where 
Fenris is bound, 91. 

" Macbeth." The Norns in, 158. 
Maelstrom (mal'strom). Mill- 
stones form the, 123. 
Magdeburg. Freya's temple at, 128. 
Magni. Thor's son, 64, 75 ; survi- 
val of, 271 ; Greek equivalent, 282. 
Maid Marian. On May day, 42. 
Malar Lake (ma'lar). Legend of 

its formation, 53. 
Mana-heim (man'a-hhn). Same as 

Midgard, 19 ; Greek equivalent, 

276. 
Managarm. The feeding of, 265 ; 

Greek equivalent, 290. 
Mani (man'e). The moon, 14; his 

companions, 16 ; death of, 264, 265 ; 

equivalent, 276. 
Mannigfual (man'ig-fu-al). Ship, 

214, 215; Greek equivalent, 290. 
Maras (mar'az). Female trolls, 220. 
Mardel (mar'del). Freya, 125. 
Mars. Northern equivalents, 282, 

285. 
Marsyas (mar'shy-as). Compared to 

Vafthrudnir, 279. 
May festivals, etc., 42. 
Mead. Heidrun supplies mead, 20. 
Mecklenburg. Worship of Frigga 

in, 59- 
Megin-giord (ma/gin-gyerd). 

Thor's belt, 63 ; Thor tightens, 72. 
Meleager (mel-e-a/jer). Nornagesta 

compared to, 287. 
Memor. Same as Mimir, 36. 
Menelaus (men-e-la'us). Northern 

equivalent, 291. 
Menia (men'i-a). Frodi's giantess 

slave, 122. 
Mentor. Eckhardt compared to, 

281. 
Mercury. Northern equivalents, 

279, 281, 282, 283. 
Mermaids. In ^Egir's palace, 288. 
Meroveus (mer-6've-us). Birth of, 

212; Greek equivalent, 290. 



Merovingian (mer-o-vin'ji-an). 

Mythical descent of kings, 212. 

Mesnee d'Hellequin (ma-na del-e- 
cang). Wild Hunt in France, 32. 

Midgard (mid'gard). Earth called, 
13 ; man dwells in, 19 ; root of 
Yggdrasil in, 19 ; Bifrost spans, 20 ; 
fields of, 113; Uller rules, 131; 
rooster of, 265. 

Midgard Snake. Thor attempts to 
lift, 73; Hymir fears, 175; Thor 
hooks, 176, 177; birth of, 199; 
rises from sea, 267; Thor slays, 
268, 269 ; equivalent, 276; tempests 
caused by, 288. 

Midnight. Part of day, 17. 

Midsummer. Balder disappears at, 
133; night, fairy revels, 223; eve, 
festival, 197. 

Milky Way in Germany and Hol- 
land, 36, 59. 

Miming (me'ming). A sword, 165. 

Mimir (me'mir). Well of, 19, 92, 
94, 137, 138; god of ocean, 171; 
son of Hler, 212; Odin's last talk 
with, 268. 

Minerva. Northern equivalents, 278, 
279, 285. 

Minos (mi'nos). Northern equiva- 
lent, 287. 

Miolnir (myel'nir). Thor's ham- 
mer, 63 ; Thor receives, 68 ; Thor 
gives life with, 70 ; Thor slays 
with, 177; giant slain by, 204, 211 ; 
dwarfs make, 68, 218; Midgard 
snake slain with, 269 ; Greek equiv- 
alent for, 281. 

Mistletoe. Oath not sworn by, 184. 

Modgud (mud'gobd). Warder of 
Gioll, 167, 192, 193 ; Greek equiva- 
lent, 288. 

Modi (mo'de). Thor's son, 64 ; sur- 
vival of, 271. 

Modir. Heimdall visits, 143. 

Mcer^E (me're). Compared to Norns, 
278. 

Moeri (me're). Thor's temple at, 
82. 

Mokerkialfi (mo'ker-kyalf-e). A 
clay image which Thialfi fights, 

74- 
Morning. Part of day, 17. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Mors. Northern equivalent, 288. 
Moselle (mo-zel'). Celebrations 

along the, 119. 
Moss MAIDENS. Wild Hunt for, 31 ; 

Greek equivalents, 223. 
Mother Night. Longest night in 

year, 119. 
Muhlberg (miil'berg). Battle of, 88. 
MUNDILFARI (moon'dil-far-e). Fa- 
ther of sun and moon drivers, 14. 
Munin (mu'nin). Odin's raven, 24; 

Od-hroerir found by, 94 ; Greek 

equivalent, 278. 
Muspell (mdbs'pel). Sons of, 267. 
Muspells-heim (mobVpels-him). 

Home of fire, 10; sparks from, 14; 

host from, 266. 
Mysinger (me'sing-er). Viking, 

slays Frodi, 123. 

Nagilfar (nag'il-far). Launching 
of, 266. 

Nagilfari (nag'il-far-i). Nott's first 
husband, 15. 

Nain. Dwarf of death, 98. 

Nal. Mother of Loki, 199. 

Nanna (nan'na). Forseti's mother, 
134; Balder's wife, 182; death of, 
190; accompanies Balder, 193; 
sends carpet to Frigga, 194; em- 
blem of vegetation, 196 ; compared 
to Greek divinities, 289. 

Narve (nar'va). Son of Loki, 200 ; 
death of, 207. 

Nastrond (na/strond). The wicked 
in, 169, 272 ; compared to Tartarus, 
288. 

Neckar (nek'kar). God and river, 
178, 179. 

Necks. Water sprites, 178, 179. 

Nectar. Compared to Northern 
drink, 277. 

Nemean Lion (ne'me-an ll'on). 
Northern equivalent, 286. 

Neptune. Northern equivalents, 
275, 278, 284, 288, 289. 

Nereides (ne-re'i-dez). Northern 
equivalents, 288. 

Nereus (ne're-us). Niord like, 284. 

Nerthus (ner'thus). Same as Frig- 
ga, 59, 60; Niord's wife, 108, 112, 
124. 



Nibelungenlied (ne'be-ldbng-en- 
led). German epic, 225. 

Niblungs (ne'blobngz). Sigurd 
visits the, 250; Brunhild, queen, 
251, 252; lament of, 256; visit 
Atli, 257, 258. 

Nick, Old. Origin of the name of, 
178. 

Nicors (nik'orz). Sea monsters, 178. 

Nida (ne'da). Home of dwarfs, 273. 

Nidhug (ne'dhoog). Gnaws Ygg- 
drasil, 20, 149, 169, 265 ; flies over 
Vigrid, 267. 

Nidud (ne'dood). King of Sweden, 
163, 164; comparison, 287. 

Nifl-heim (nifl'him). Land of mist, 
10; root of Yggdrasil in, 19; Bi- 
frost connects, 20; Odin gazes 
into, 39; Hel in, 89, 166, 265; 
Idun in, 105 ; Uller in, 133 ; horn 
heard in, 138; Odin visits, 184; 
Hermod visits, 189, 190; Balder in, 
193 ; equivalents, 276, 283, 288, 
289. 

Night. Birth of, 15 ; horses of, 37. 

Niord (nyerd). A hostage, 22 ; god 
of sea, 107-111, 171; Skadi mar- 
ries, 109, 134; glove of , in; Frey, 
son of, 1 12-1 14; semi-historical, 
117; oath sworn by, 118; Freya, 
daughter of, 124; Greek equiva- 
lents, 171, 285. 

Nip. Father of Nanna, 182. 

Nixies. Dwell with yEgir, water 
spirits, 178, 179, 288. 

Noatun (noo'a-toon). Niord's home, 
107, 108, 109, no. 

Noon. Part of day, 17. 

Nordri (nor'dre). Dwarf, supports 
heaven, 14. 

Nornagesta (norn-a-ges'ta). Story 
of, 157, 158; compared to Meleager, 
287. 

Norns. Yggdrasil sprinkled by, 20 ; 
office of, 38, 154-159; decree of, 
86; Odin questions, 145, 148; 
Valkyrs same as, 162 ; mortals 
visited by, 234 ; torn web of, 268 ; 
Greek equivalents, 278, 286. 

Norsemen. Elves guide, 224; va- 
rious beliefs of the, 272. 

North Sea. Mannigfual in, 2 14, 290. 



312 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Norvi (nor've). Father of Night, 
15, 154; ancestor of Noras, 154. 

Norway. Landscape in, 9; Odin 
conquers, 43, 44; Thor, god in, 62- 
64 ; kings of, 1 1 1, 117; Maelstrom 
near, 123; Freya in, 124, 130. 

Nott. Goddess of night, 15. 

November. Sacred to Uller, 132, 

133- 

Nymphs. Compared to elves, 277. 

Oaths. Sworn on Gungnir, 24; on 
swords, 85 ; by Frey, 118 ; on boar, 
120; by Uller, 133; by Leipter, 
168; in favor of Balder, 184. 

Oberon (o'be-ron). Fairy king, 
218, 223. 

Oberwesel (6-ber-va'zel). Fisher- 
man of, 180. 

Ocean. Ymir's blood, 13. 

Oceanides (6-se-an'i-dez). Com- 
pared to wave maidens, 288. 

Oceanus (o-se'a-nus). Northern 
equivalent, 276. 

Od-HROERIR (od-hre'rir). Kettle of 
inspiration, 93 ; Odin in quest of, 
103 ; compared to Helicon, 283. 

Odin (o'din). Birth of, 12 ; creates 
man, 18; hall of, 20; goat of, 20; 
brother of, 22 ; general account of, 
23-45 ; attributes of, 24 ; mantle and 
spear of, 24; footstool of, 25 ; god 
of victory, 26 ; battle loved by, 28 ; 
the Wild Huntsman, 32 ; leader of 
souls, 34 ; constellation of, 36 ; one 
eye of, 36, 88, 92, 227, 267; Geir- 
rod fostered by, 40 ; historical 
Odin, 40, 117, 280 ; serpents of, 44 ; 
statues of, 44 ; Frigga, wife of, 46 ; 
toast to, 46 ; return of, 48 ; Thor, 
son of, 61; present for, 66-68; 
Hrungnir races with, 73 ; down- 
fall of, 79, 268 ; Thrymheim viewed 
by> 79; Grid, wife of, 80, 147; 
compared to Tyr, 84 ; spear of, 68, 
86, 218, 235; disposes of Loki's 
progeny, 89, 166; discovers Od- 
hroerir, 94; Gunlod won by, 95; 
runes of, 99; visits earth, 101 ; 
Loki joins, 102 ; Loki called to ac- 
count by, 103 ; gives Iclun wolf- 
skin, 105; sky is, 106; Hoenir 



related to, 107; throne of, 114; 
Freya marries, 129; Uller replaces, 
131; drives Uller away, 132, 133; 
wave maidens, wives of, 137; 
Heimdall as, 141 ; Hermod, mes- 
senger of, 144 ; runic staff of, 145 ; 
to lose son, 146; prediction con- 
cerning, 149 ; Rinda courted by, 
150-152, 195; visits Noras, 155, 
268; Valkyrs attend, 160; decree 
concerning Volund's sword, 165 ; 
Balder, son of, 182, 183 ; Vala con- 
sulted by, 184-186; cheered by 
Frigga, 187; lends Sleipnir, 189; 
whispers to Balder, 192 ; Draupnir 
returned to, 194; emblem of sky, 
196; Loki, brother of, 198; trilogy, 
199; helps peasants, 201; Sleipnir, 
horse of, 204 ; Loki surprised by, 
206; visits giants, 21 1 ; Sigi, son 
of, 226 ; gives sword to Sigmund, 
227, 233 ; Helgi approved by, 
236; receives Sinfiotii, 237; Si- 
gurd advised by, 240, 244, 245 ; 
visits Hreidmar, 241 ; Brunhild 
punished by, 248 ; comparisons be- 
tween Greek divinities and, 277, 
278, 280, 282, 284, 286, 291. 

Odenso (o'den-se). Founded by 
Odin, 43. 

Odur (o'ddbr). Freya's husband, 
125; Freya finds, 126; Freya's 
search for, 127; sunshine is, 129; 
equivalents, 279, 285. 

CEnone (e-no'ne). Compared to 
Brunhild, 292. 

CEta (e'ta). Northern equivalent 
for pyre on, 289. 

Okolnur (o-kol'nobr). Giants 
dwell in, 273. 

Olaf (o'laf). Destroys statues, 45, 
82, 83, 118; Yule changed by, 121 ; 
Nornagesta visits, 158, 287; giants 
in days of, 212. 

Olaf, Sir. Captured by fairies, 222. 

Old Nick. Origin of name, 178. 

Oldenburg. Drinking horn, 214. 

Oller. Same as Uller, 131. 

Olrun (ol'roon). Marries mortal, 
163. 

Olympus (o-lim'pus). Northern 
equivalents, 276, 278, 287. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



3^3 



Omens. Wolves are good, 24. 

Omphale (om'fa-le). Northern 
equivalent for, 281. 

Oreades (o-re'a-dez). Compared to 
Northern divinities, 277- 

Orgelmir (6r-germir). Ice and fire 
giant, 11. 

Orion (o-rl'on). Northern equiva- 
lents for, 47, 284, 285. 

Orlog (or'log). Irrevocable de- 
crees of, 155, 186; equivalent, 278. 

Ormt. Thor wades across, 62. 

Orpheus (or'fus). Northern equiv- 
alents, 280, 282, 289. 

Orvandil (or-van'dil). Thor brings 
home, 76 ; equivalent, 282. 

Ostara (os'tar-a). Eastre, 57. 

Ottar. Freya helps, 128, 129. 

Otter. Slain by Loki, 240. 

Oxford. Yule at, 119. 

Paderborn (pa'der-born). Irmin- 
sul near, 36. 

Paris. Northern equivalent, 290, 
292. 

Peace Frodi. Story of, 122. 

Peace Steads. Of the gods, 18, 
189. 

Pegasus (peg'a-sus). Blodug-hofi 
compared to, 284. 

Pelias (pe'li-as). Northern equiva- 
lent, 282. 

Peneus (pe-ne'us). Northern equiv- 
alent, 288. 

Pentecost. Princess Use appeared 
at, 215. 

Pentland Firth. Whirlpool in, 
123. 

Perseus (per'sus). Northern equiv- 
alent, 287, 291. 

Phaethusa (fa-e-thu'sa). Northern 
equivalent, 276. 

Phaeton (fa'e-ton). Northern equiv- 
alent, 285. 

Philemon (fi-le'mon). Northern 
equivalent, 279. 

Philoctetes (fil-ok-te'tez). North- 
ern equivalent for arrows of, 291. 

Phcebe (fe'be). Equivalent, 276. 

PH02BUS (fe'bus). Equivalent, 276. 

Phcenician (fe-nish'an). Dwarfs 
compared to miners, 220. 



Pied Piper. Story of, ^, 34; Greek 
equivalent, 280. 

Pluto. Northern equivalents, 275, 
277, 281. 

Pollux (pol'uks). Northern equiv- 
alent, 292. 

Priam (prl'am). Compared to Odin, 
290. 

Procris (pro'kris). Northern equiv- 
alent, 277. 

Prometheus (pro-me'thus). North- 
ern equivalent, 278, 289. 

Proserpine (pros'er-pin). North- 
ern equivalents for, 279, 281, 282, 
283, 289. 

Proteus (pro'tus). Northern equiva- 
lent, 286. 

Psychopompus (sT-ko-pom'pus). 
Compared to Odin, 280. 

Pucks. Same as dwarfs, 217. 

Pyrrha (pir'a). Northern equiva- 
lent, 290. 

Pyrrhus (pir'us). Northern equiv- 
alent, 290. 

Python (pi'thon). Compared to 
Fafnir, 291. 

Quickborn. Magic fountain of, 57. 

Raging Host. Same as Wild Hunt, 
30, 32. 

Ragnar LoDBROG(rag'nar lod'brog). 
Aslaug marries, 249. 

Ragnarok (rag'na-ruk). Heimdall 
to announce, 21 ; murder, precursor 
of, 204 ; recruits for battle at, 236 ; 
the tragedy of, 270; comparisons, 
273, 290; Fenris dies at, 286. 

Ran. Wife of ^Egir, 171, 178; sis- 
ter of Loki, 199 ; Loki makes a net 
like, 206 ; Loki borrows net of, 
242 ; compared to Amphitrite, 288. 

Randwer. The death of, 260. 

Rat Tower. In the Rhine, 35. 

Ratatosk (ra'ta-tusk). Squirrel, 
telltale, 20; equivalent, 278. 

Rati (ra'te). Odin's auger, 95. 

Reg in (ra/gin). Sigurd educated by, 
239 ; the story of, 240-242 ; Sigurd 
to slay Fafnir for, 243 ; sword 
forged by, 244 ; demands satisfac- 
tion, 245 ; death of, 246. 



3H 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



Reine Pedauque (ran pe-dok'). 

Frigga same as, 59. 
Renown. Compared to Heimdall, 

286. 
Rerir (ra'rir). Son of Odin, receives 

apple, 51, 52, 226; Greek equiva- 
lent for story of, 261. 
Resurrection. Word whispered 

by Odin, 38, 190. 
Rhine. Tower in the, 35 ; gold of 

the, 164, 225 ; divinity of the, 179, 

288; Lorelei in the, 180; Brunhild 

and Gudrun bathe in the, 253 ; 

hoard sunk in the, 257. 
RiESENGEBlRGE (re'zen-ged^er-ge). 

Giant mountains, 211, 290. 
Riger (re'ger). Heimdall visits earth 

as, 141. 
Rinda (rin'da). Wife of Odin, 43, 

195 ; prophecy concerning, 146, 

185; Odin courts, 150, 195; Greek 

equivalents, 277, 286. 
Ringhorn. Balder's pyre on, 190, 

191; Greek equivalent, 289. 
Rodenstein (ro'den-stm). Wild 

Hunt led by, 31, 32. 
Romans. ^Esir driven from Asia 

Minor by, 43 ; Vitellius, prefect, 

86 ; Christianity, 224. 
Rome. Tannhauser visits, 56 ; Vi- 
tellius, emperor of, 86. 
RosKVA(ros'kva). Thor's servant, 70. 
Rossthiof (ros'thef). The prophecy 

of, 145, 150, 152, 185 ; compared, 

286. 
Rosterus (ros'ter-us). Odin as 

smith, 151. 
ROgen (re'gen). Nerthus's worship 

on island of, 59. 
Runes (roonz). Odin masters and 

uses, 39, 94, 182, 185. 
Russia. ^Esir migrate to, 43 ; name 

for, 146. 
Ruthenes. Odin visits the land of 

the, 146, 150. 

S^hrimnir (sa'hrim-nir). Boar in 

Valhalla, 27. 
Seeming (sa'ming). King of Norway, 

44, in. 
S^mund (sa'moond). Compiler of 

Elder Edda, 224. 



Saga (sa'ga). I. Wife of Odin, 43, 
279. 2. Records called, 10, 87, 262, 
272. 

Sagittarius. Northern equivalent, 
132. 

St. Gertrude. Belief in, 130. 

St. Goar. Lorelei at, 179. 

St. Hubert. Uller is, 132. 

St. John's Day. Celebrations, 197. 

St. Michael. Bears Cheru's sword, 
87. 

St. Valentine. Replaces Vali, 153. 

Sarpedon (sar-pe'don). Northern 
equivalent, 290. 

Sataere (sat'a-re). God of agricul- 
ture, 209. 

Satan. Same as Loki, 209. 

Saturday. Sacred to Loki, 209. 

Saturn. Equivalent, 209, 284. 

Saxnot. God of Saxons, 86 ; Frey 
like, 112. 

Saxon. Irmin, a god, 36 ; Hengist 
and Horsa, 44; Eastre, goddess, 

57- 
Saxony. Conquered by Odin, 44. 
Scalds. Edda the work of, 10. 
Scandinavia. Worship in, 60, 108, 

121, 223, 224; fairies in, 222. 
Scandinavians. Belief of the, 132, 

147, 211, 212; epic of the, 225; 

topographical belief of the, 211. 
Schwartze See (shvart'se sa). Ner- 
thus's car bathed in the, 60. 
Scourge of God. Attila the, 87, 

262. 
Scylla (sil'a). Northern equivalent, 

283. 
Seasons. The division of the, 17. 
Seeland. Gefjon plows, 53, 280. 
Senjemand (sen'je-mand). Story of 

giant, 212, 213. 
Senjen. Island of, 212, 213. 
Sessrymnir (ses'rim-nir). Freya's 

home is, 124. 
Shakespeare. Norns used by, 158. 
Sibich (se'bikh). The traitor, 260. 
" Siegfried " (seg'fred). Wagner's 

opera of, 225. 
Sif. I. Dwarf, slain by Thor, 191. 

2. Wife of Thor, 64; hair stolen, 

65-68, 199; Uller, son of, 131; 

Loki slanders, 205, 206; dwarfs 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



315 



make hair, 218; comparisons, 281, 
282. 

Siggeir (sig'Ir). Marriage feast of, 
226-228 ; treachery and death of, 
228, 230, 233. 

Sigi (sig'e). Son of Odin, 44, 225 ; 
comparison, 261. 

Sigmund (sig'mdbnd). Volund's 
sword for, 165 ; brother of Signy, 
227 ; sword won by, 228 ; a prisoner, 
229; the vow of, 230 ; tests Signy's 
sons, 231; a werewolf, 232; pris- 
oner of Siggeir, 233 ; escape and 
vengeance of, 234 ; the son of, 236 ; 
Hiordis, wife of, 237; death of, 

238 ; Sigurd, son of, 239 ; the sword 
of, 244; comparisons, 261, 291. 

Signy (sig'ni). Volsung's daughter, 

226-229 ; vengeance of, 230-234. 
SlGTUNA (sig-tu'na). Odin founds, 

43- 
Sigurd (se'goord). Brunhild to 
marry, 165 ; story of, 225 ; birth of, 

239 ; Grani selected by, 240 ; Regin 
speaks to, 243 ; sword of, 244 ; 
slays Fafnir, 245 ; rides through 
flames, 247 ; betrothal of, 248 ; 
marriage of, 249 ; Gudrun gives 
potion to, 250 ; Gudrun, wife of, 
251; wooes Brunhild for Gunnar, 
252; awakening of, 253; death 
of, 254—256; funeral pyre of, 255; 
Gudrun mourns, 257; Atli slain 
with sword of, 260 ; a sun myth, 
261 ; Greek equivalents, 261. 

Sigyn (se'gen). Loki's faithful wife, 

200, 206. 
Sindri (sin'dre). Dwarf, smith, 67, 

68 ; king of dwarfs, 273. 
Sindur (sin'ddbr). A wave maiden, 

137. 

Sinfiotli (sin-fe-ot'li). Birth and 
education of, 231 ; Signy aids, 233 ; 
vengeance of, 234 ; career and death 
of, 235, 236, 287; Greek equiva- 
lent, 291, 292. 

Sir Olaf. Fairies beguile, 222. 

Sirens. Compared to Lorelei, 288. 

Sirius (sir'i-us). Northern equiva- 
lent, 284. 

Skadi (ska'de). Wife of Odin, 43 ; 
in Asgard, 108, 109; wifeofNiord, 



112, 124; wife of Uller, 132; pun- 
ishes Loki, 207; comparison, 284. 

SKIALF (skyalf). Same as Freya, 
125. 

Skidbladnir (skid-blad'nir). Dva- 
lin makes, 66, 218; properties of, 
66; Frey owns, 68, 113; compari- 
son, 282. 

SK1N-FAXI. Steed of Day, 15. 

Skiold (shold). King of Denmark, 

44, 53- 

Skioldings (shold'ings). Descend- 
ants of, 53, 279. 

Skirnir (sker'nir). Servant of Frey, 
90, 114, 117; journey of, 1 14, 1 15, 
285. 

Skoll (skul). Wolf pursuing sun 
and moon, 16, 265, 290. 

Skrymir (skrim'ir). Thor's encoun- 
ter with, 71, 72. 

Skrymsli (skrims'le). The story of 
giant, 201. 

Skuld (skoold). One of the Norns 
called, 154, 155, 157, 159, 162. 

Slagfinn. Marries a Valkyr, 163. 

Sleeping Beauty. Origin of myth, 
158. 

Sleipnir (slip'nir). Odin's steed, 
29, 39, 73, 75, 184, 268 ; Hermod 
rides, 145, 189, 193; Loki, parent 
of, 204, 290; Grani, son of, 240. 

Slid (sled). Stream in Nifl-heim, 
168. 

Snor. Wife of Karl, 142. 

Snorro-Sturleson (snor'ro-stoor'- 
la-sun). Author of " Heimskring- 
la," 117. 

Snotra (sno'tra). Goddess of virtue, 

53- 
Sokvabek (so-kva'bek). Home of 

Saga, 43 ; comparison, 279. 
Sol. The sun maid, 14, 264 ; death 

of, 265, 270; compared, 276. 
Somnus. Northern equivalent for 

servants of, 291. 
Son (son). Bowl of expiation, 93. 
Sorli (ser'li). Son of Gudrun, 260, 

261 ; compared, 292. 
Spartan King. Equivalent, 291. 
Steropes. Northern equivalent, 284. 
Straw Death. Northern contempt 

for, 168. 



316 



GLOSSARY AXD INDEX. 



Stromkarls. Water divinities, 178, 

. I79> 
Styx. Compared to Leipter, 168. 

Suabiaxs (swa'bi-anz). Tyr, a god 
of the, 84. 

Sudri (su'dre). Supports heavenly 
vault, 14. 

Surtr (soortr). Flame giant, 10; 
progeny, 15 ; world destroyed by, 
21; arrival of, 267, 268; Frey 
slain by, 269; world consumed by, 
270. 

Suttuxg (soot'toong). The story of 
giant, 94, 95, 97. 

Svadilfare (sva'dil-far-e). Horse 
of architect, 202, 203. 

Svalin (sva'lin). Shield tempering 
sun rays, 14. 

Syaxhyit (svon'whit). Marries mor- 
tal, 163. 

Syart-alfa-heim (svart-alfa-him). 
Home of dwarfs, 18, 66, 90, 113, 
127, 220. 

Svart-alfar (svart-alf'ar), 217. 

Syasud (sva'zood). Father of Sum- 
mer, 17. 

Swaxhild (swon'hild). Daughter 
of Gudrun, 256, 257, 260; com- 
pared, 292. 

Swedex. Landscapes of, 9 ; May- 
day in, 42; Odin conquers, 43, 44; 
Gylfi, king of, 44, 52 ; Thor in, 64; 
Frey, king of, 122 ; Frodi visits, 
122; Freya in, 124, 130; Nidud, 
king of, 163; miners in, 220. 

Switzerlaxd. Giants in, 211. 

Sword Daxces, 84, 85. 

Syx (sen). Goddess of truth, 52. 

Syr (sir). Same as Freya, 125. 

Taxxgxiostr (tang'nyos-ter). Thor's 
goat, 64. 

TANNGRISNR (tan'gris-ner). Thor's 
goat, 64. 

Taxxhauser (tan'hoi-zer). Story of, 
56, 57; equivalent for, 281. 

Tarxkappe (tarn'kap-pe). Invisible 
cap, 218. 

Tartarus (tidr'tar-us). Northern 
equivalents, 275, 282, 288. 

Telemachus (te-lem'a-kus). North- 
ern equivalent, 281. 



Teutox (tu'ton). Ostara, a goddess, 
58. 

Teutoxic Gods. . 209, 211. 

Thaxatos (than'a-tos). Same as 
Hel, 288. 

Theseus (the'sus). Northern equiv- 
alent, 291, 292. 

Thetis (the'tis). Northern equiva- 
lent for, 286. 

Thialfi (te-alf'e). Servant of, 69, 
70, 72, 80 ; duel of, 74, 75 ; Egil's 
son, 174. 

Thiassi (te-as'se). Loki's adventure 
with, 101 ; I dun kidnapped, 102, 
103, 104, 107-109, 199, 283 ; Loki 
pursued by, 104, 108 ; Gerda, rela- 
tive of, 1 14 ; the eyes of, 283, 284. 

Thixg (ting). Northern popular as- 
sembly, 30, 128, 129. 

Thok (tok). Loki as, 194, 196, 204; 
comparison, 289. 

Thor (thor or tor). Never crosses 
Bifrost, 21; Jord, mother of, 43; 
toast to, 46; god of thunder, 61- 
8^; infancy of, 61; anger of, 61, 
65 ; description of, 62 ; hat of, 64 ; 
Alvis petrified by, 64; Miolnir given 
to, 68 ; drinking wager of, 71 ; duel 
with Hrungnir, 74 ; adventure with 
Geirrod, 80 ; temples and statues of, 
82 ; Tyr like, 84 ; giants hated by, 
113, 269; Yule sacred to, 118; Bri- 
singa-men worn by, 127 ;Uller, step- 
son of, 131 ; Grid's gauntlet helps, 
148; kettle secured by, 174; goes 
fishing, 176, 177; consecrates Bal- 
der's pyre, 191; visits Utgard- 
loki, 198; slays architect, 204; 
threatens Loki, 206; sons of, 271; 
Greek equivalents, 281, 282, 290. 

Thora (to'ra). Wife of Elf, daugh- 
ter of Hakon, 256. 

Thorburx. Origin of name, 81. 

Thorx of Sleep. Brunhild stung 
by, 248. 

Thorwaldsex (tor'wald-sn). Ori- 
gin of name, 81. 

Thrall. Birth of, 141, 142. 

Thridi (tre'de). One of the trilogy, 
44. 

Throxdhjeim (trond'yem). Tem- 
ple of Frey at, 118. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



on 



Thrud (trood). Thor's daughter, 

64, 65. 
Thrudgelmir (trood-gel'mir). Birth 

of giant, 12. 
Thrud-heim (trood'hlm). Thor's 

realm, 61. 
Thrung (troong). Freya, 125. 
Thrym (trim). Thor visits, 77, 78, 

281, 282; Freya refuses, 129; son 

of Kari, 212. 
Thrym-heim (trim'hlm). Home of 

Thiassi, 102 ; Loki visits, 103, 104. 
Thunderer. Same as Odin, 277. 
Thunderhill. Named after Thor, 

81. 
Thuringia (thu-rin'ji-a). Horsel- 

berg in, 56; giants in, 215. 
Thursday. Sacred to Thor, 82, 282. 
Thurses (toors'ez). Giants called, 

210. 
Thvera (tva'ra). Temple of Frey 

at, 118. 
Thviti (tve'ti). Bowlder where 

Fenris is bound, 92. 
Thyr (tir or ter). Wife of Thrall, 

141. 
Titan 1 a. Queen of fairies, 223. 
Titans. Northern equivalents for, 

275, 282, 290. 
Tityus (tit'i-us). Northern equiva- 
lent, 289. 
Tiu (tu). Same as Tyr, 84, 183. 
Toasts. To Odin, 45 ; to Frigga, 

46 ; to Bragi, 99 ; to Niord and 

Frey, III; to Freya, 130. 
Torge (tor'ge). Story of giant, 213. 
Torghatten (torg-hat'ten). Mount- 
ain, 213. 
Tree Maidens. Elves same as, 223. 
Trent. Superstition along the, 173. 
Trolls. Dwarfs known as, 18, 213, 

217, 220, 291. 
Troy. Northern equivalent for siege 

of, 280. 
Tubingen (te'bing-en). Worship of 

Tyr in, 92. 
Tuesday. Tyr's day, 84. 
Twelfth-night. Wild Hunt at, 31 ; 

festival, 59. 
Twilight of the Gods, 263. 
Tyr (ter). Son of Frigga, 43 ; god 

of war, 84-92; one arm, 88, 267; 



feeds Fenris, 89 ; like Frey, 112; 

like Heimdall, 144; chains Fenris, 

166; accompanies Thor, 174-177; 

fights Garm, 268 ; death of, 269. 
Tyrfing (ter'fing). Magic sword, 

219. 
Tyrol (tir'ul). Story of flax in, 54. 
Tyr's Helm. Aconite called, 92. 

Ulfrun (dol'froon). A wave maiden, 

137- 
Uller (dbl'er). Skadi marries, in; 

winter-god, 131-133; equivalents, 

285. 
Ulysses (u-lis'sez). Compared to 

Tannhauser, 281. 
Undines (un'denz). Female water 

divinities, 178, 179, 288. 
Upsala (up-sa/la). Temple at, 44, 

82, 280; Ingvi-Frey at, 117; mound 

at, 284. 
Urd (dbrd). One of the Norns, 154, 

i55- 

Urdar (dord'ar). Fountain, 19, 20, 
21, 62, 148, 154, 155, 186, 268. 

Utgard (dbt'gard). Realm of, 71, 
72. 

Utgard-loki. Castle of, 71, 73; 
evil, 178; Thor visits, 198. 

Vafthrudnir (vaf-trood'nir). Odin's 
visit to, 37, 211, 279; fulfillment of 
prediction, 266. 

Vak (vak). Odin as, 151. 

Vala (va'la). Druidess, 86; grave 
of, 185. 

Valas. Norns called, 158; Odin 
consults, 184. 

Valaskialf (va'la-skyalf). Hall in 
Asgard, 25; Vali in, 153. 

Valentine. Vaii as St., 153. 

Valfather. Same as Odin, 26, 160. 

Valfreya. Same as Freya, 124. 

Valhalla (val-haTla). Description 
of, 25-28, ^8 ; masters of, 62 ; 
Hrungnir enters, 73; Tyr welcomed 
to, 84 ; Tyr's warriors in, 88 ; Bragi, 
bard of, 99; heroes in, 141, 145, 
235 ; Vidar visits, 148 ; Valkyrs 
choose guests for, 160, 162 ; Ran's 
hall rivals, 172; mistletoe near, 
I 184, 188; Helgi promised, 234, 



3*8 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



235 ; Gudrun returns to, 236 ; 
Fialar above, 265 ; host of, 268. 

Vali (va'le). 1. The avenger, 150- 
153, 186; slays Hodur, 193; sur- 
vival of, 271. 2. Son of Loki, 200, 
206. 

Valkyrs (vaTkirz). Attendants of 
Odin, 26; of the heroes, 26, 28; of 
Tyr, 88; led by Freya, 124; ac- 
company Hermod, 155; Skuld a, 
159; general account of, 160-165; 
Helgi marries a, 235 ; Gudrun a, 
236 ; Brunhild a, 248 ; Freya a, 
285 ; Hebe compared to the, 287. 

Valpurgisnacht (val-poor'ges- 

nahkt). Witches' dance on, 130, 

r 159- 

Valtam (val'tam). Vegtam, son of, 
185. 

Van. Niord a, 22, 283. 

Vana-HEIM. Home of the Vanas, 
21, 22, 107, 112, 124. 

Vanabride. Freya, 124. 

Vanadis (van'a-dis). Freya, 124. 

Vanas. Sea and wind gods, 21, 112, 
124, 139, 171 ; quarrel between the 
^Esir and the, 93, 107 ; compari- 
sons, 271, 278. 

Vandals. Story of Winilers and, 49, 
280. 

Vara (va'ra). Oath keeper, 53. 

Vasud (va/sood). Father of Vind- 
sual, 17. 

Ve (va). Creation of, 12, 19, 278; re- 
places Odin, 42, 132. 

Vecha (vech'a). Odin as, 151. 

Vedfolnir (ved-fol'nir). Falcon, 
reporter, 20. 

Vegtam (veg'tam). Odin, 185. 

Veimer (vTmer). Thor fords, 80, 
282. 

Veleda. Warns Drusus, 159. 

Veneur de Fontainebleau (ven-ur 
duh fon-tan-blo'). Wild Hunts- 
man, 32. 

Venus. Northern equivalents for, 
279, 282, 285, 291. 

Verdandi (ver-dan'de). Norn of 
present, 154; beneficent ways of, 

155- 
Vespasian (ves-pa'shan). Election 
of, 87. 



Vidar (ve'dar). Parents of, 43; 

story of, 147-149 ; slays Fenris, 

269; the survival of, 153, 271; 

comparisons, 286, 290. 
Vienna. Customs in, 120, 121. 
Vigrid (vig'rid). Last battle on 

plain of, 38, 208, 266, 268, 271. 
Vikings (vl'kingz). Valkyrs take, 

161. 
Vili (veTe). Creation, 12, 19, 278; 

replaces Odin, 42, 132; compari- 
son, 275. 
VlNDSUAL (vind'su-al). Father of 

Winter, 17. 
Vingnir (ving'nir). Foster father 

of Thor, 61. 
Vingolf (ving'golf). Tyr welcome 

in, 84. 
Vingthor (ving'tor). Same as 

Thor, 61. 
Vinland. Norse settlement in, 224. 
Virgin. Sponge called hand of, 1 1 1 ; 

health of, 130. 
Vitellius. Has Cheru's sword, 86, 

87. 
Vjofn (vyofn). Goddess of concord, 

52. 
Volla. Same as Fulla, 50, 51. 
Volsung (vol'sdbng). Saga of, 225, 

292; birth of, 52, 226; career and 

death of, 225-230 ; descendants of, 

231, 235, 238, 261. 
V6LUND (vel-oond). Story of the 

smith, 163-165, 287. 
Volundarhaus (veToond-ar-hous'). 

Compared to Cretan labyrinth, 165, 

287. 
Von. River from Fenris 's mouth, 92. 
Vor (ver). Same as Faith, 53. 
Vrou-elde (vrou-eld'e). Same as 

Frigga, 59. 
Vrou-elden-straat. Milky Way in 

Holland, 59. 
Vulcan. Northern equivalents for, 

277, 285, 287, 291. 
Vulder (vdbl'der). Same as Uller, 

132. 

Wagner. Four operas from Vol- 

sunga Saga, 225. 
Wain. Same as Great Bear, 36. 
Wanderer. Same as Odin, 37. 



GLOSSARY AND INDEX. 



319 



Waves. ^Egir's daughters, 173, 

188. 
Wednesday. Sacred to Odin, 45. 
Weldegg. King of East Saxony, 44. 
Werewolf. Sigmund a, 232. 
Weser (va'zer). Rats drowned in, 

33- 

West Saxony. Conquered by Odin, 

44. 

Westerburg. Use loves knight of 
the, 215. 

Westri (wes'tre). Dwarf support- 
ing heavenly vault, 14. 

White Lady. Last appearance of, 

58, 59- 

Wild Hunt. Leaders of, 30, 32, 

59, 132. 

Wild Huntsman, 30, 32. 
Will-o'-the-wisp. Mediaeval su- 
perstition concerning, 222. 
Wind. Waves play with, 173. 
Wingi (wing'e). Same as Knefrud, 

257- 
Winilers (win'i-lerz). Story of 

Vandals and, 49, 280. 
Winter. Odin supplanted by, 42. 
Wode (wo 'da). Same as Frigga, 

59- 
Woden. Same as Odin, 23, 30, 45. 
Woden's Day. Same as Wednesday, 

45- 
Wood Maidens. Elves known as, 

223. 
Wuotan (wo'tan). Same as Odin, 

23, 59- 



Wurd (wdbrd). 
Wyrd (werd). 
148, 149. 



Same as Urd, 155. 
Mother of Norns, 



Ydalir (e-dal'ir). Abode of Uller, 

131- 

Yggdrasil (ig'dra-sil). Creation of, 
19; stags pasture on, 20, 26; as- 
sembly under, 21 ; spear from, 37; 
Odin hangs from, 39 ; Thor goes to, 
62 ; Idun falls from, 105 ; Bifrost 
reaches to, 137; Giallar-horn hung 
on, 138; Norns dwell under, 154; 
Nidhug eats, 169, 265 ; consumed, 
269 ; comparison, 283. 

Ymir (e'mir). Giant of fire and ice, 
11 ; sleep of, 12 ; death of, 12, 210; 
earth created from, 13; dwarfs 
from, 17, 217, 277; Fornjotnr 
same as, 199, 212; comparisons, 

275, 277- 

Younger Edda. Gylfi's delusion de- 
scribed in the, 44. 

Yule. Month and festival of, 118, 
119. 

Yule Log, 121. 

Yule-tide, 82, 99. 

Zephyrus (zef'i-rus). Frey like, 
284. 

Zeus (zus). Northern equivalents 
for, 280. 

Ziu (zu). Same as Tyr, 84. 

Ziusburg (zuz'berg). Same as Augs- 
burg, 84. 






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